Protect Me
by jdmfanfiction
Summary: Samantha, a freelance writer, moves to Chicago. She didn't expect to be a victim of a stalker, but what happens when she seeks professional help from Alicia and Lucca? Then Jason Crouse, the private investigator, comes in and offers his help. (Jason Crouse/OC).
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** So, I just finished watching "The Good Wife" and holy crap! Jason Crouse is one charming man. I gathered some inspiration to write about him and well... Here we are! I hope you guys enjoy it! I've got a lot of plans for this story.

* * *

Samantha spent every night at her local coffee shop. She was a writer and always managed to brew up inspiration when she wasn't in the comfort of her own home. She would order her usual coffee – one pump of vanilla and a splash of milk to her liking. Occasionally, Samantha would order a chocolate chip muffin and a vanilla latte if she thought she deserved it.

Though, there was something about writing in coffee shops that had interested her. Being able to sit at a table, look out the window and observe her surroundings always managed to invoke her muse and allow her to write as if inspiration magically came to her.

It had been months since she had been coming to the Buzz: Killer Espresso coffee shop. She always took a seat at the bar counter that elongated along the large windows overlooking the main street. Samantha first stumbled upon this place due to its interesting name and she had made the mistake of adding an espresso to her coffee one night. It was indeed _killer_ since she couldn't sleep the entire night.

It was a chilly evening in Chicago, so sitting outside was out of the question. Samantha pulled on her coat and draped her laptop bag over her shoulder to walk across the street to the coffee shop. She loved the ambiance of Buzz. It was modern and very "hipster-like." She enjoyed the background noise of the milk steaming from the coffee machine, the quiet chatter amongst employees and customers, and the background noise coming from the main street. It was a perfect place to write.

Samantha sat down at the stool, setting her bag atop of the table before retrieving her wallet form her bag.

"Hey, Sam. Getting the usual?" The employee, Josh, asked. It was a sign that she had come here too often that the employees knew what she was going to order.

"You know, I think I'm going to try the vanilla latte tonight. Maybe even a chocolate chip muffin," she grinned. Samantha paid for her order, dropping a five-dollar bill into the tip jar before taking a seat.

While it had been months since she started coming here, Sam was usually very observant. She noticed the same man sitting at one of the booths every night as well. At first, she wondered if he enjoyed coming to coffee shops like her but after the first few conversations, Sam knew to keep her distance.

Every time her eyes would catch him, she would notice him staring at her. He had stopped bringing a book to read and instead, replaced it with his laptop. She didn't necessarily know what to make of it, but she figured if she kept her distance then he would get the hint.

"Sam!" Josh called. She stood from her seat and walked to the register, grabbing her plate of food and her mug.

"This looks beautiful. I don't even think I want to drink it because of this latte art," she teased.

"Well, I made it with love," Josh replied.

Sam smiled. "Oh, I wouldn't doubt it for a second."

As they were stuck in a conversation, the man who caused her to feel uncomfortable stood and tried to join in and interrupt.

"Hey, Sam."

Sam cleared her throat, looking over at him. "Oh, hey, Todd."

Todd grinned, "Need help?"

Just as Sam was going to reply and shake her head, he was quickly grabbing her mug of coffee and her plate of food to bring back to her table.

"Thank you," she whispered, taking her seat.

Todd sat next to her, obviously too close for her liking but close nonetheless. "How was your weekend?"

Sam shrugged, pulling her laptop out of her bag. "It was fine. Went running. Figured I'd reward myself for being fit with a chocolate chip muffin," she laughed.

Todd smiled, staring at her with loving eyes. Sam definitely took notice and it made her uncomfortable.

"You don't have to run. You look great already," he commented, his eyes deviating to her body.

Sam cleared her throat. "Oh, uh, thanks. If you don't mind, Todd, I've got some work to do. I'll talk to you later." She put her earphones on, hoping that Todd would get the hint and leave her alone.

Todd, however, narrowed his eyes and his smile fell from his lips. He gently patted her upper thigh, causing Sam to tighten her jaw and shift away from him.

"Don't touch me." Sam removed an earbud, looking at him with narrowed eyes.

"It's just a friendly gesture," he responded.

"We are not friends. You know nothing about me. Just because we have had a few conversations here and there does not give you the right to touch me however you please."

Todd masked his hurt with a smile. He nodded and stood up from his seat. "Okay. I'm sorry."

Throughout the night, Sam focused on her writing. When she noticed that Todd left the coffee shop, she let out a breath of relief. Now she could relax. The only downfall of this coffee shop was that they closed earlier than others she had been to.

So when seven o'clock was approaching, Sam began to gather her things. She thanked the employees before leaving the coffee shop. She felt her phone vibrate and pulled it from her pocket, seeing the text message.

 **Unknown number:** Hey. It's Todd.

Sam cleared her throat. She didn't know how he got her number. She looked around, obviously freaked out before quickly walking to her car and heading home. Once she made it to her apartment, Sam called her best friend, Brandon, to let him know what was going on.

"What am I supposed to do? I didn't even give him my number, Brandon." Sam walked around her apartment, dressed in shorts and an oversized t-shirt.

"Okay, that's freaky. I know a few lawyers who could help you out. You got a pen and paper on you?" Brandon responded.

Sam quickly grabbed her notepad and a nearby pen, ready to write down the name and number for the lawyers. She didn't expect to be a victim of a stalker once she moved to Chicago.

"Alicia Florrick and Lucca Quinn. They'll definitely help you out. Mention my name and I'm sure it'll be a done deal."

Sam arched a brow. "Do you mean Lucca as the one you dated before you joined the military, Brandon?"

"Yeah, that's the one. Listen. She and I left on good terms. We still keep in touch, but I know there isn't any bad blood between us. Besides, they're good. Just give them a call tomorrow morning."

Sam sighed. She had no other choice. "Fine. Okay. I'll call you tomorrow to let you know how it went."

The next morning, Sam called the number that Brandon had given her. It was a quick conversation, but once she mentioned his name, Lucca instantly agreed to meet with her later that day.

Sam dressed in black jeans and a maroon sweater. She slipped on her ankle boots and grabbed her bag before leaving her apartment. Ever since last night, Sam was paranoid. She was glancing over her shoulder every five minutes.

The address that was given was an apartment building. Sam was expecting an office, but she remembered that Brandon reassured her that these two women were the best lawyers out there. She had to trust him for his word.

When Lucca opened the door, she led Sam to the office that was towards the back of the apartment. She noticed a dark red-haired woman sitting behind the desk with a neutral expression. Lucca motioned for Sam to take a seat and she happily obliged.

"So, you've got a stalker?" Alicia asked.

"I didn't think much of it, but he got my number somehow. I never gave it to him," Sam replied.

"Do you still have the message?" Lucca asked.

Sam instantly nodded. She pulled her phone from her bag and showed the two women the message.

"Can we place a restraining order on him or possibly sue him for stalking? I don't know how this all works. I'm just kind of freaked out," Sam said.

Alicia and Lucca both look at one another. They were dressed very professional and it seemed like they meant business, but from the looks on their faces, Sam knew she was going to receive bad news.

"Well, this is a very tricky situation, Sam. We have no evidence aside from this text message. It's not enough to bring him to court. We believe you, but it's going to be difficult to represent this to a judge," Alicia said.

Sam sighed, dropping her eyes to her lap. She heard someone enter the room and glanced over at the man dressed in all black, sporting black framed glasses with a beard that was streaked with silver.

He caught your eye and smiled politely.

"This is Jason. Our private investigator," Lucca introduced.

Sam simply nodded, turning her attention back to Alicia.

"So, what am I supposed to do? Wait for something to happen? He touched me last night."

Alicia arched a brow. "In what way? Were there any witnesses that could attest to this?"

"Well, no. I was sitting down. He patted my leg. It was underneath the table."

Lucca sighed. "Again, we can't use that. It'd just be your word against his."

Jason interrupted, looking over at Sam before picking up her phone that was resting on Alicia's desk.

"Have you given him hints that you were interested in him? Anything that he could possibly have taken the wrong way?" Jason asked.

Sam sighed. "No. In fact, I never initiated conversation. Sure, I talked to him when he came up to me, but that was it. When I first met him, we had a decent conversation. But that was that. Ever since then, he started coming the same time I did. Leaving the same time I did. Even the people that worked there found it odd."

Jason nodded, opening his laptop. "Alright. What's the name of this coffee shop?"

Sam looked over at him. "Buzz: Killer Espresso."

He grinned, flashing his dimples in her direction. "What a clever name. I can't believe I've never been there before."

"I can assure you the name is not misleading. Add one shot and you're up for the entire night," Sam commented.

"Then I must _definitely_ check this place out," Jason replied.

Alicia arched a brow, looking down at the desk as if an idea came to her. "Sam, go there tonight. See if Todd is there. We'll have Jason be there too."

Sam cleared her throat. "No, no. I can't. Who knows what Todd would do!?"

Jason looked over at her. "I'll be there. Nothing will happen. You want something on this guy, well, you're going to need a witness."

Sam looked hesitant. She didn't want to go back to the coffee shop.

"Jason will protect you. He has punched a man before," Alicia added, flashing Jason a small smile.

"Well, sure. I've punched someone before too but that doesn't mean anything," Sam replied with a sigh.

"I'll be there before you, Sam. Don't worry. Todd won't do anything as long as I'm there," Jason reassured.

Sam looked at the three people who were staring at her, waiting her to accept the idea. She knew this was the only way, but it still scared her. She didn't want to see Todd.

"Okay… I'll be there at five. It's the usual time I go there. He's usually there before me as if he's waiting for me to arrive. What happens if he isn't there?" Sam asked.

"Then we try again tomorrow night," Alicia replied.

Sam nodded, standing up from the seat and grabbing her bag. She took her phone from Jason's grasp, nodding in his direction.

"I'll see you tonight, Sam." Jason said.

"I guess you will." Sam then turned to Alicia and Lucca who lead her out of their office and to the front door. "Thank you. For doing this. I'm just a bit shaken up. He's always made me uncomfortable and testing his boundaries every time he talks to me."

Alicia nodded and Lucca offered a small smile. "We'll get enough evidence to get this guy. Focus on tonight. Act like you normally do. Order what you normally get. We don't want him assuming you went to us for help," Lucca said.

Sam nodded, "Okay. I can do that."

Later that night, Sam entered the coffee shop and set her bag down at her usual spot. She tried to act normal, but when she noticed Jason sitting at the corner, she felt slightly relieved. That was until she also noticed Todd.

"Hey, Sam. What're you going to get tonight?" Josh asked.

"I'll just do a regular coffee with –"

Josh smiled, "With a pump of vanilla and a splash of milk?"

"Your manager needs to give you a raise," she teased, paying for her coffee and dropping another five-dollar bill into the tip jar.

Sam moved back to her seat, pulling her laptop out of her bag and trying to ignore the anticipation of what could possibly happen. For now, she was going to act normal. Just like Alicia and Lucca suggested.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Fun fact! There actually is a real coffee shop called "Buzz: Killer Espresso" in Chicago!

* * *

Jason had taken notice of Todd snapping pictures sneakily while Sam ordered. It still wasn't enough evidence, but they were on the right track. At least he knew that Sam wasn't being paranoid.

He sipped on his coffee, deciding to settle with just a simple latte. Usually, he would go for a quick cup of coffee, but he wanted to be fancy for once. Plus, the latte he was drinking was definitely kicking in.

When Jason heard her name being called to pick up her coffee, he watched Todd stare at every move she made. It was creepy. It was as if he was entranced by her. Every so often, he would notice Todd's eyes deviating to Sam's backside. Jason couldn't help but follow his gaze.

Sam was cute, but he would never date client. Besides, Jason was in a complicated relationship with Alicia.

Then, a thought occurred to Jason. Maybe if he went up to talk to Sam, it would cause Todd to react somehow.

Finishing his cup of coffee, Jason stood to bring the empty mug back to the counter where Sam stood, speaking with the employee. She was incredibly friendly and sweet, he realized.

"How was the latte, sir?" Josh asked.

Jason grinned, looking over at the younger man. "It was great. I feel the buzz in my veins."

Sam looked over at him, maintaining a neutral expression. She hadn't realized how good looking he actually was. His dimples, the beard, the glasses… He was fucking _hot_. She mentally shook her head. She had a role to play and besides, a man like Jason either had a girlfriend or didn't do relationships. Either way, it was bad news for her.

"That's why it's called Buzz for a reason," Sam replied.

Jason looked down at her, maintaining a small smile. "Thought it was misleading. I guess not. I'm Jason."

Sam arched a brow. It was clicking. She realized what he was doing.

"I'm Sam. It's nice to meet you, Jason. Are you new to Chicago?"

Jason shrugged, "Kind of. Moved here about a year ago."

"So, you're telling me you've been here for a _year_ and you haven't tried this place until now? You have been missing out." Sam smiled, walking to her seat. Jason took this as an invitation to follow.

Once they were out of earshot of the employee and in their little corner, Jason kept his eyes forward out the window. He looked out at the cars driving by, the strangers along the sidewalk… It was oddly soothing.

"He was taking pictures of you. It's not enough, but you've definitely got an admirer," Jason said.

Sam sighed, sipping on her cup of coffee. "Stalker. Not admirer."

Jason smiled, "Right now, it's an admirer. We have nothing but your word to say that he's a stalker."

"I guess you're right. I just wanted to have a nice place to go to write and have a cup of good coffee. That's all," Sam said. She turned her laptop on and glanced over at Jason. "Was it true that you moved here just a year ago?"

Jason nodded, watching as her fingers type away at the keyboard.

"Yeah. I'm actually from Jersey."

"I'm disappointed in you. Been here an entire year and you've never heard of Buzz. What have you been doing?" Sam teased.

Jason chuckled, "Work. Lots of it. But, I guess I should thank _you_ for showing me this place."

"Good. This coffee shop needs more recognition. I'm glad you like their coffee."

Jason arched a brow for a moment, reaching for her notebook and pen that was lying on the table. He wrote down his personal number and glanced down at her. Sam, however, was a bit confused. Was he doing this to get a reaction out of Todd or was he doing this because he was interested?

"I'll be across the street in my truck. Stay however long you usually do. I'm pretty sure Todd's been watching, so if anything happens, remember… I'll be right here," Jason reassured, climbing off the stool.

"Technically, you'll be across the street," Sam quipped.

"Oh, you're funny, huh?" Jason grinned. "But, you get what I mean. Act normal. And give me a call. Maybe we can have coffee sometime," Jason added.

Sam bit her lower lip, nodding. "Right. Okay. Thank you, Jason."

She watched him leave the coffee shop, pocketing his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. Sam couldn't take her eyes off of him. He was jogging down the street to his truck, climbing and pretending to drive away. She averted her attention to her laptop, acting as normally as she usually would do.

Occasionally, she would sip at her coffee until she finished it. Usually, that was when Buzz was closing up. Sam had looked up after an hour and a half of writing to see Jason's truck across the street like he said it would be. It was dark now, so she couldn't see him or his shadow which was a good thing.

Sam draped her bag over her shoulder, not sparing Todd a glance before she walked out of the coffee shop. Her car wasn't too far, but it was still a bit of a walk.

Just as she was walking, Sam felt a hand on her lower back. Instantly, she turned around to look up at Todd.

"What are you doing?" She asked, pushing him away.

"Figured I'd walk you back to your car. A woman like you shouldn't be walking alone at night. It's dangerous out here," he said.

Sam tightened her jaw, gripping the strap of her bag. "I'm capable of defending myself, Todd. Thank you."

As she was beginning to walk away, Todd grabbed her wrist roughly and looked down at her. "You never responded to my text… Did I upset you?"

Sam tried to pull her hand from him, but his grip was tightening by the second.

"Did you upset me? Todd, I never gave you my number! Please, just leave me alone. I tried to be subtle about it, but it's apparent that my hints aren't working. So please… Just let me go." Sam begged, trying to pull on her wrist. His grip only seemed to tighten further.

Todd tightened his jaw, anger clear in his eyes. "Oh, but you're willing to accept numbers from some other stranger, right? What's so wrong with me that you don't like? Am I not tall enough? Not old enough? I think you're hot and I want to take you out."

Sam could feel his fingertips digging into her skin, causing tears to well up in her eyes at the pain. She was sure that there would be bruises later on.

"Todd, please… I'm not interested, okay?"

Without another response, Todd pulled her to his chest roughly, his lips crashing against hers. Sam tried to push him away, but the grip he had on her wrist and the other that wrapped around her waist prevented her from going anywhere.

Todd finally pulled away, grinning down at her. Sam had tears in her eyes, hoping that Jason witnessed everything.

Just before Todd could do anything else, Sam felt the grip around her wrist loosen and Todd flat on the ground. Jason had swung his right fist straight into the man's jaw, knocking him out cold.

"Sam?" Jason said, turning to look over at her. He called the police to have Todd arrested for sexual harassment. It was enough to put him in jail for the time being.

"I – He kissed me…" Sam's body began to shake, staring down at Todd who simply groaned in pain. The police arrived shortly, pulling the man up to his feet and bringing his wrists behind his back as the sound of the cuffs attaching echoed in her ears.

"You're all right, Samantha…" Jason reassured, looking down at her shaky hands. He hesitantly took them in his warm ones, holding them lightly. He noticed the bruising that was beginning to appear at her wrist and instantly took his phone out to take photos. It was evidence.

"I didn't think he would push himself onto me…" Sam stared at Todd as he was being driven away from the police car. She slowly moved her gaze to Jason, feeling oddly comforted by his presence.

"Seems like he upgraded from admirer to stalker. I think we've got ourselves a case, Sam." Jason tried to lighten the mood, but when he realized it wasn't working, he sighed. Usually his charm would make anyone smile.

"Yeah. Tell Alicia what happened tonight. I'm going to go home." Sam walked to her car, tossing her things into the backseat before she felt Jason's hand on her shoulder.

"We needed evidence. We've got it now. This will be over before you know it," Jason commented.

Sam walked around the driver's side, climbing in and immediately starting the car.

"Right. I'll catch you later, Jason."

Jason sighed, walking around the car to lean against the driver's side. He leaned his head into the window and looked directly at Sam who focused her attention on the steering wheel.

"You know my number. Text me to let me know that you made it home, okay? Get some rest." With a pat on the roof of her car, Jason stepped back onto the sidewalk. Without a response from Sam, she drove away from the curb to pull onto the main street.

Jason instantly dialed Alicia's number. He partially felt guilty for pushing Sam into this direction; he wasn't expecting Todd to actually kiss her.

When Alicia answered, Jason was already in his truck, driving back to his apartment. "We've got enough evidence. Todd's in jail right now. He kissed her, Alicia. She's also got bruises on her wrist."

"That's good news. We've got enough to pin him for assault."

Jason arched a brow. "He attacked her. There's nothing good about that."

She sighed, "That's not what I meant. I'm sorry. I'm onto my second glass of alcohol. Listen. Why don't you come over and we can discuss the case?"

"I've got a lot of work to do, Alicia."

"You would definitely help me _not_ drink, Jason. Come on. I want you. You want me. Meet me at my place in an hour." Alicia hung up, causing Jason to sigh. On any other day, he would have agreed, but something about Sam was stopping him.

He texted Alicia, letting her know that he wasn't going to make it. Once he made it to his apartment, he felt his phone vibrate. He expected it to be Alicia, but when he noticed the unknown number and the message, he couldn't help but smile.

 ** _Sam:_** _You told me to text you when I'm home. So. I'm home. Thanks._

Jason read over the text, biting his lower lip. He had never given a client his personal number before. Sure, he was just playing the part of a man interested in a woman, but a part of him was hoping that she would make use of his number.

He was glad she did.

 ** _Jason:_** _You doing okay?_

Sam looked at the message. It was a quick response. She wasn't expecting him to respond so soon.

 ** _Sam:_** _I'll be okay. I know you, Alicia, and Lucca mean well, but I wasn't expecting all of that to happen. I'm a bit shaken up._

 ** _Jason:_** _Wasn't expecting it either. I'm sorry about that. If you need company, I'm all ears._

 ** _Sam:_** _Am I getting the secretive, private investigator Jason or the normal one?_

Jason looked down at the message and chuckled. She had no idea who he was, but that was the fun part about getting to know someone. He didn't know anything about her either.

 ** _Jason:_** _That depends. Which side do you want?_

 ** _Sam:_** _The normal one, of course._

 ** _Jason:_** _Then the normal Jason you will get. Do you want to grab breakfast tomorrow?_

Sam bit her lower lip. She read the message repeatedly. She tried to think nothing of it, but it was difficult. He was handsome and well she was trying to fend off a stalker.

Might as well take a big leap of faith, she told herself.

 ** _Sam:_** _That sounds great. Send me the address tomorrow morning and I'll meet you there. Thank you, Jason. Good night._

Sam set her phone on the bedside table, snuggling into the warmth of her blankets. She looked down at her wrist, biting her lower lip at the bruising that had turned into a dark purple. She hoped that it would be enough for Todd to stop harassing her.

Tomorrow, however, she had a "date" with a sexy private investigator. For now, she would focus on that.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam remained awake the entire night. She couldn't stop thinking about what happened with Todd. Everything happened so fast. She consulted with Alicia and Lucca and later that night, she got the evidence that they needed to charge him for assault.

Though, as she was getting ready to meet with Jason, her eyes continued to deviate to her bruised wrist. She hoped that the bruising would disappear; Sam didn't need a physical reminder of what happened.

Once she was dressed in black jeans, a loose dark and green flannel with a coat over it, Sam was on her way to meet with Jason. She had settled with wearing her glasses – she didn't want to look like she didn't have any sleep.

Besides, the man she was going to have breakfast with was extremely good looking.

Jason was waiting for Sam to arrive. He was sitting at a small booth in an old neighborhood diner, sipping on a cup of coffee. It definitely didn't taste as good as the coffee he had last night, but it was caffeine nonetheless.

He looked out the window, spotting her almost instantly once she climbed out her car. Jason could tell that she looked exhausted and the fact that she kept looking over her shoulder made him believe that she was also a bit paranoid.

She stepped into the diner and smiled politely at the woman that greeted her. Sam glanced around the diner and noticed Jason who was quietly sipping on a cup of coffee. Walking over to him, she removed her coat to drape over the back of her seat.

"Hi," she said quietly.

Jason looked up. He had to act like he wasn't just watching her.

"Morning," he responded.

Sam grabbed the pot of coffee, pouring herself a cup and adding two packets of sugar and a splash of milk. When she removed her glasses to be put aside, Jason noticed the slight dark circles under her eyes.

"I'm going to need this cup of coffee," Sam said quietly, lifting the cup to her lips.

"Looks like it… Rough night?" Jason ran a hand over his beard, the glasses hanging low at the bridge of his nose before he pushed it up with the side of his index finger.

"Didn't sleep at all. Stayed up watching movies all night, so that was fun." Sam looked up at him, her big eyes meeting his own. There was something mysterious about him that she couldn't necessarily place.

"Well, I guess I should ask if you saw any interesting movies? Would love some recommendations," he replied. Jason held her gaze for a few moments, noticing the concern in her eyes. He felt partially responsible.

"That depends. What kinds of movies do you like?" Sam was glad that they weren't talking about the potential case, though she knew that the conversation would come up soon enough.

"I'm not particularly picky. I'm a pretty easy-going guy."

Sam arched a brow and Jason simply smiled, flashing her a very charming grin. He knew exactly what to do with his eyes, his charismatic smile, and she was on the receiving end of it. She didn't know what to think of it – it seemed like he had practiced that particular look on many women before.

"I'm sure that's a good thing." Sam replied, picking up the menu and looking over the choices of food.

"Do you know what you'd like to get? Breakfast is on me," Jason said, glancing over the menu. He had enough time to decide what he wanted before she arrived.

"I think some pancakes, eggs, and sausage would do good. Maybe even bacon," she bit her lower lip. Sam was hungry and it didn't matter that she was in the presence of a handsome man who saved her last night. Besides, she didn't find the need to hide her love of food.

Jason, however, just grinned. He was amused by her. "Sounds good."

Once Jason told the waitress their orders and handed the woman back the menus, he turned his attention to the woman sitting in front of him. She was glancing around the diner with paranoia and Jason couldn't help but feel partially guilty.

"So, Alicia told me that they're working on a search warrant for the guy's apartment. If he's been stalking you for quite some time now, we think he's got some sort of shrine of you back at his place. If he does, it'll just seal the deal on this case," Jason began. He noticed that Sam had refilled her cup of coffee, adding just the right ingredients to make it to her liking.

Sam stiffened for a brief moment. She wished she could have just turned the other cheek about Todd. She wished she could have just stopped going to Buzz every night, but she wanted to stand her ground. Though, Sam was slightly regretting her decision on going to consult with lawyers.

"That's good…" Sam replied simply.

Jason narrowed his eyes. He could tell she was trying to avoid the conversation. "I'm sorry. You know, for what happened last night. I should have been there before he even laid a hand on you."

Sam shook her head. She still wasn't looking up at him. "It's not your fault, Jason. You guys got what you need. I guess that's all that matters."

He sighed. Sam placed her hands on the table, letting her fingertips run across it as the sleeve of her flannel slightly revealed the darkening bruise around her wrist. Jason hesitantly reached out to take her hand which Sam, surprisingly, allowed him to take.

When Sam realized what Jason was looking at, she instantly pulled her wrist away from him, putting her hands back onto her lap and away from his field of vision.

"Sam…" Jason said quietly.

She just shook her head. "It's not your fault. Stop acting like you caused this. It was bound to happen."

Jason opted to not respond. She may have had a point, but either way, he wished it didn't happen. If anything, he was glad that he was there before it could go any further.

After fifteen minutes of small talk, the food arrived to the table. Sam let a small smile line her lips and Jason took notice. She was cute when she smiled.

"You got the same as me?" She asked.

Jason nodded, grabbing the syrup to pour over his pancakes. "Mhm. I love pancakes, but I also love eggs, bacon and sausage. It's the complete package."

Sam maintained her smile, nodding. When Jason handed the syrup, her fingers grazed his and their eyes locked for the briefest of moments. She broke out of the reverie, seemingly getting lost in the beauty and richness of his brown eyes.

There was no way that someone like _him_ was interested in someone like _her_.

Sam was shy, an introvert and Jason seemed like the complete opposite. He oozed confidence with an outgoing personality. She just assumed that it was the pure physical attraction and the fact that he helped her last night was tainting her thoughts of him.

As they began eating, a comfortable silence consumed the pair. The sounds of their utensils clinking against the plate and the occasional sips from their coffee lingered in the air. There were a few stolen glances, watching how the other would look out the window and space out while the other would continue to pour himself another cup of coffee.

"I'm going to assume you don't want to talk about last night, so… Tell me something about you, Sam. Where are you from? What do you do? Things you're interested in?" Jason asked, taking a bite out of a strip of bacon.

Sam arched a brow, wiping her lips. "I thought it was your job to know those kinds of things," she teased.

Jason simply grinned. "Well, what's the fun in that? I'd rather hear it from the woman herself than read it on paper or ask through friends."

She refilled her cup of coffee and set it aside. She was going to need as much caffeine as possible due to her sleepless night.

"Just moved here from California. I'm a freelance writer. I don't necessarily like staying in one place for very long. I like change. It gives me a better outlook and understanding of this life. I also like space, the galaxy… I'm sorry. I sound like a complete nerd." Sam blushed, looking down at her plate as she cut a piece of pancake and lifted it to her lips.

When she looked up to see Jason, Sam noticed the amused look on his face. At least he didn't look bored.

"What about space is that you like?" He responded.

"Um, just the whole idea that it's kind of another world out there, you know? I always told my mom I wanted to become an astronaut. I used to have a telescope in my backyard when I was younger. I would stare at the moon and the stars… I was just so fascinated by it all. Reminds me that this world is much bigger than we thought."

Sam tried to prevent herself from sounding like a "nerd," but she couldn't help it. Stargazing was one of her favorite things to do. It showed her that she wasn't alone in this world and there was beauty everywhere around her.

"That's exactly how I feel," Jason admitted. "I love space too. Love all things space. Not many people do, so it's always comforting to find someone who does."

Sam smiled. She knew exactly what he meant. Not a lot of people understood her love of space or the galaxy. Not only was Jason extremely attractive, but now they had something in common.

"I also don't like staying in one place too long either. The feeling of being stuck is just – It's not my thing," Jason added.

Sam arched a brow. Now, this was just getting weird. "Are you just agreeing with whatever I'm saying or are your answers truly genuine?"

Jason chuckled, sipping on his cup of coffee.

"I'm being serious. I like to just be able to get up and leave at a moment's notice," he said.

"What happens if you find a woman that changes that outlook? Would you feel stuck then?" She asked. Sam was partially talking about personal experience, but Jason didn't need to know the full details.

Jason, however, stiffened slightly. He wasn't expecting her to respond with that question. His relationship with Alicia was currently a secret, but the fact that the woman in front of him was interesting him more than Alicia was startling him.

Usually, he had a better understanding of his feelings, but since he met Sam, he didn't know what to feel or think. She was basically a woman version of himself and he didn't know what to make of that. It could either be a good or bad thing; Jason was hoping for the former.

"Well, I'll cross that bridge when and _if_ it gets here."

Before Jason could reply, his phone started to ring. He excused himself from the table and took the call outside and away from earshot of Sam. She glanced over her shoulder to watch his lips move silently, wondering who was calling and what they were talking about.

Five minutes later, he stepped into the diner once more and sat across from her. From the looks of his large grin and sparkly eyes, Sam could tell there was good news.

"We've got his address. No warrant yet, but we're still working on it."

Sam nodded, finishing her plate of food and sipping the warm coffee. They may have an address, but it would be useless if they didn't find anything worthy of evidence in his home. Either way, it was still worth a shot.

"That's great… Was it Alicia who called?" Sam asked.

Jason nodded, grabbing his wallet to pay the bill. Sam gently placed a hand over his and looked up at him. "Let me take my half," she said.

Jason shook his head. "You're kidding, right? I invited you to breakfast. Let me pay."

Sam sighed, releasing her hand. "Fine, but if this happens again, I'm paying."

Jason led her out of the diner once she pulled on her coat. He held the door open for her, seeing the smile on her lips. He decided to walk her to her car, pocketing his hands into his pants. He couldn't help but wonder the next time he would see her again.

"Hopefully, I'll have better news for you," Jason said.

Sam set her bag in the passenger seat, shutting the door and walking around to the driver's door with Jason following her. He was smart enough to keep his distance despite the want to be close to her.

"Me too. The quicker this guy is in jail, the happier I will be."

Jason nodded. It was usually how the cases worked. Many of the clients just wanted their problems to be resolved and he was hoping that he, Alicia, and Lucca would help Sam have her "happy ending." The worse part of his job was seeing the clients suffer, so he always did his best to help them.

"You and I both, Sam. I'll call you later. Keep you updated."

Sam nodded in response, reaching for her door before Jason beat her to it. He opened the driver's door for her, allowing her to climb in. Once Sam does, she buckled her seat belt and Jason shut the door. Sam slowly rolled down the window and Jason smiled, taking a step back.

"Get home safe, okay?" Jason said.

Sam smiled, "Of course. I don't drive like a maniac," she teased.

Jason laughed quietly. "Just because you don't doesn't mean that other people don't as well. Bye, Sam."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the late update! I'm still trying to get used to school/work and forming a sense of routine! I hope this chapter is okay! Things will be picking up! I just wanted to develop Jason and Sam's relationship more. Enjoy! :)

* * *

Sam felt relieved. Todd was in custody and she felt freer than she had before. Going to Buzz and not having to worry about Todd showing up was an incredible feeling. She rewarded herself with a blueberry muffin and a vanilla latte; she deserved it.

She set her coat on the back of the seat, pulling her leg underneath her as she looked over a few articles about the current news. Being a freelance writer meant she was able to write what ever came to mind. It was something she had always wanted to do.

But, Sam couldn't help but let her mind drift to Jason.

He was sweet and charming, but there was something about him that seemed so mysterious. There was no way that Sam wasn't attracted to him. Not only did he have the personality, but he was also incredibly good looking.

It was also coincidental that he liked the same things she did and even lived a life like she did. She didn't like feeling restricted, so moving had been something she considered doing. Space and the galaxy were also something she loved ever since she was young.

It wasn't every day that she found a guy with the same interests as her that also looked like _him_.

Sam was broken out of her reverie when she heard the FaceTime call coming from her laptop. It was from Jason.

With an arched brow, she answered the call and inserted her earphones into her laptop. When Jason appeared, Sam felt herself blush at the mere sight of him appearing on her screen.

"Hey," he said.

"Is everything okay?" Sam asked, bringing the mug of coffee to her lips.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"Well, I mean… You'd only call me if something was wrong, right?"

Jason shook his head, "Maybe I wanted to talk to you again. I had a nice time this morning at breakfast."

Sam blushed from behind the mug, setting it down slowly. It had been a while since she was interested in someone that she almost forgot what it felt like.

"I had a good time too, Jason."

There was a bit of uncomfortable silence while the two stared at one another from their respective screens. Sam could tell Jason was thinking; he looked too deep in thought, or maybe because she refused to believe that someone like Jason could be interested in someone like her.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing. You at Buzz?" Jason replied.

Sam nodded, "Yeah. I got myself a vanilla latte and a muffin."

" _Wow_. Look at you. Going all out. What's the occasion?" He teased.

She laughed quietly, tucking a strand behind her ear. Jason took notice, watching as the subtle dimple appeared at the corner of her lip, the slight scrunch of her nose and the light hue on her cheeks. He didn't know why he was paying attention to the small details when it concerned her. She commanded his attention without her even realizing it and he was interested without her intention.

"Cravings, and because you, Alicia, and Lucca have helped me a great deal since meeting with you all. You guys work fast," she smiled.

"Technically, we had to push the guy in order for him to make a move. It's not even something to be worth celebrating for. He assaulted you and –"

Sam shook her head. "Don't, okay? I can tell where this is going and I'm going to stop you right there. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault but Todd's."

He shook his head, running an absent hand through his salt-and-pepper beard. Sam took notice that he seemed to be in some sort of office; she assumed it was at his place.

"It wasn't the route we wanted to take, Sam. You can say that it's all right all you want, but that doesn't mean I won't feel guilty," he began.

Sam sighed. Jason seemed to be persistent. "Listen. What happened last night was bound to happen. I was lucky that you were there. Just – Drop it, okay? I don't want to think about it anymore. I just want to focus on what we do next. That's all."

"Alicia will make sure that this guy is put where he's supposed to. She's the best lawyer I've seen and she loves a challenge. She'll stand her ground for the benefit of her client. She's going to see it that Todd doesn't bother you anymore," Jason said. Sam noticed the subtle fondness in his voice when he was talking about Alicia.

She did notice the slight tension between Alicia and Jason when she first met the two at Alicia's apartment. They were glancing at one another as if they were talking through their eyes and Sam was sure that they were having a secret love affair.

"Yeah, well, I'm paying you guys to help me out, so let's hope."

Sam looked at her screen, seeing that it had paused on his end but she could still hear his voice.

"Speaking of Alicia, she's calling me right now. I'll call back as soon as she tells me some news," Jason said.

"Of course. Duty calls. Good night, Jason." Sam said, taking a bite of her muffin.

Jason unpaused his video, looking at her and letting a small smile line his lips. "Good night, Sam."

After the call ended, Sam sighed. He was so easy to talk to and talking to people had always been something she struggled with. But with Jason, it just came naturally. She also felt suddenly confident whenever she was around him. Sam noticed that she could act herself in his presence, not having the need to put up an act.

Though, she was taken out of her thoughts when she got a glimpse of Todd entering the coffee shop. Just as she was going to call Jason, her phone began to ring.

"Jason… I thought you guys had him in custody. He's here at Buzz. He's ordering something." Her voice sounded frantic as she began to pack her things carelessly into her bag.

Jason suddenly felt a sense of protectiveness wash over him at the mere sound of her voice. After talking to Alicia, Todd was more of a threat than he suspected. All they could do at the moment was place a restraining order on him and from the sounds of it, Todd was not abiding by it whatsoever.

"I know. That's why Alicia called. To tell me that I should warn you. Is he bothering you right now?"

Sam pulled her coat on and quickly walked out of the coffee shop. As she was walking to her car, she glanced over her shoulder to see that Todd was sneakily following her.

"He's following me, Jason…"

"All right. Get to your car. Lock the doors. Go to my place. I'll tell you everything then. Do you want to stay on the phone with me until you get here?" Jason asked.

Sam finally got to her car, instantly climbing in and locking the doors. She didn't waste any time before pulling out of her parking spot.

"Y – Yes… Please. Just –"

Jason interrupted her, "The sky looks clear tonight. I've got a telescope on my patio. Wanna look at some stars when you get here?"

Sam knew what he was doing. He was trying to distract her from what she was thinking.

"Yeah… I'd like that."

"I'll order some pizza when you get here too. It'll be fun. Give yourself a break from all that writing," he teased.

Sam sensed the smile in his voice which caused her to smile as well. Though, as she looked in her rearview mirror, she noticed that someone was following her.

"Jason, I think he's still following me…"

"I suspected that. When you get to my apartment, I'll be at the doorstep. He won't touch you when you're with me, all right? I've got you, _Samantha_." The way her name left his lips felt so natural. He wanted to protect her, to keep her safe, to tell her that everything was going to be okay. He had _just_ met her and all these feelings were coming at him full force in a way he had never felt before.

Jason couldn't explain it. Ever since he met Sam, he had been seeing less and less of Alicia outside of work.

Sam couldn't help but feel safe at his words. Since meeting him, Sam found herself thinking more and more of him. Realizing that they had a lot in common just made those thoughts swarm her mind even more.

Reaching Jason's apartment, Sam noticed him instantly. He was dressed in pajama pants, a regular grey t-shirt and a zip-up jacket over. Even in clothes like that, Jason still managed to look cute.

Once she climbed out, the same car that was following her screeched away. Jason met her halfway, helping her inside with a hand to her lower back. Sam instantly leaned into his touch, glancing up at him for a moment before she decided to drop her eyes to the floor.

As Jason led her inside, Sam looked around curiously. It looked very much like her apartment: plain and boring. Sam's mother always told her that her own apartment should have some sort of object that would give visitors a sense of who you were as a person, but as Sam looked around, she couldn't find one single thing.

The pictures that were hung on the wall didn't seem like something Jason would like. It was almost as if Jason was renting this apartment with it already furnished. Then she remembered what they talked about that morning. He didn't like the feeling of being stuck, just like she did.

And just like Sam, he wanted to be able to leave at a moment's notice. It made sense that none of these things belonged to him if someone wanted to leave whenever they wanted. Excess baggage would just simply cause a problem.

"I'm going to order pizza. Make yourself at home, okay?" Jason said, leaving the living room to go down the hall to what she assumed was his bedroom. Sam nodded in response, removing her shoes to set aside in the corner. She wiggled her toes from inside of her socks before removing her coat to drape on the rack.

Slowly, she walked to his couch and sat down. Sam brought her legs up onto the sofa, resting her forehead against her knees as she tried to rid herself of the nagging thoughts of Todd.

Something was wrong.

About five minutes later, Jason walked back into the living room and took a seat next to Sam. He sighed, looking over at her to see that she was burying her face against her knees. Hesitantly, he rested a comforting hand on her shoulder, causing Sam to lift her head to look in his direction.

"What's going on, Jason? I thought you guys had him…"

Jason let his hand drop from her shoulder, tightening his jaw. "All Alicia could do was put a temporary restraining order on him until the hearing. He made bail, Sam. Right now, her advice is to wait it out. He wasn't supposed to be near you tonight. He has to be at _least_ a hundred yards away."

"So, he's free basically?" Sam asked.

Jason nodded, sighing quietly. "I'm sorry, but I promise you that you're safe with me, Sam."

She looked over at him, arching a brow. "You can't be with me every second of the day, Jason. Besides, if Todd goes against the restraining order, I'll just call the police. Once he disobeys the restraining order, we have more reason to put him in jail."

Before Jason could reply, there was a knock at the door following a ring of the doorbell.

"Must be the pizza. Give me a sec." Jason stood up, retrieving his wallet from his room before walking to the front door. Once he opened it, he gave the young man a twenty-dollar bill before nodding in his direction. Shutting the door, he locked it behind him and set the box of pizza onto his coffee table in the living room.

"Want anything to drink? Water? Soda?" Jason asked.

"Water's fine, thank you."

Jason retrieved two plates and two bottles of water. Once he walked back to the living room to sit next to her, Sam noticed that he was much closer than he originally was. Oddly enough, Sam took comfort in the close proximity and slowly moved closer to him.

Jason glanced down at her, meeting her eyes and noticing the pure innocence in her orbs. He didn't know why she decided to move closer to him, but he didn't mind. Jason liked having her near.

"You okay?" Jason asked quietly.

Sam nodded, "I'm fine…"

Jason broke the eye contact as a response, handing her a plate before he opened the box of pizza. He set each a slice onto their plates before leaning back against his couch. Sam slowly decided to loosen up, realizing that just as long as Jason was here, no one was going to hurt her.

"Can I ask you a question?" Sam asked, breaking the silence.

Jason took a bite of his pizza, grabbing a napkin to wipe his lips. "Yeah. What's up?"

"Are you and Alicia together?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Trigger warning for slight characteristics of stalking. Also, I can't wait to develop more of this relationship with Jason and Sam. It's gonna be worth the wait! :)

* * *

Jason stared at her, his eyes briefly narrowing. He wasn't expecting that particular question to leave Sam's lips. He certainly didn't understand why she wanted to know.

"It's complicated," he told her.

"Because she's still technically married and you're in a relationship with a woman who is still with one of the most infamous men in Chicago who may or may not be running for President?" Sam responded.

Jason chuckled, shrugging a shoulder. "Well, that's one reason."

"What else is there?"

"What Alicia and I have is purely sexual. Nothing more, nothing less," Jason defended.

"… Right." Sam replied, unconvinced.

She took a bite of her pizza, glancing in his direction before she felt Jason take the slice from her hand to set aside. She must have hit a nerve.

"What I do with Alicia doesn't concern you, Sam."

"I didn't say it did, Jason. I was asking an innocent question. You didn't have to answer if you didn't want to," she replied.

Jason sighed, looking down at the box of pizza. He knew where her mind went, simply because she was looking at him the exact way he was looking at her. He was intrigued by Sam and she felt the same way.

There was just something mysterious about the other person that they couldn't put their finger on.

"It's just complicated," he repeated.

"Well, I guess what I'm trying to say is that if I were Alicia, I wouldn't keep you a secret," Sam stood up from the couch, pointing down the hallway, "The bathroom down that way?"

Jason looked up at her, tilting his head. Maybe she was attracted to him like he was attracted to her. Their chemistry was something he couldn't understand.

Since meeting her, Jason felt immediately protective of her. He also found himself having a good time in her presence. She made him laugh and the fact that they had so many things in common was something he was thinking more and more about since having breakfast with her.

"Uh, yeah. Down the hall to your left."

"Okay, thanks. I'll be right back," Sam said, walking down the hallway. When she finally disappeared from his sight, she entered the bathroom and shut the door quickly behind her.

How stupid could she have been to let something like _that_ slip? She admitted during breakfast that she didn't like to be tied down. She enjoyed the idea of being able to get up and leave without any strings attached and here she was, obviously attracted to some man that was helping her with a case.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," she mumbled to herself.

Sam looked into the mirror, letting her eyes trail her features. She looked tired. The bags were more noticeable in Jason's bathroom with the bright lights casting perfectly down upon her. She hoped that this situation would be resolved soon so she could move on with her life.

Maybe what she felt for Jason was pure physical attraction. Nothing else.

After five minutes, she washed her hands and left the bathroom. When Sam approached the living room, she saw Jason resting back against the couch with his arm draped over the back of it. Quietly, Sam took her seat back next to him and glanced over in his direction.

When his eyes opened to look at her, Jason smiled.

"Everything okay?" He asked.

"Everything's fine. Thank you. I better get going. I think I'll be okay," Sam said.

Jason bit his lower lip. "Oh, uh, you don't have to go, you know. He may be watching you as we speak and if he sees you leave, there's a high chance he'll follow you back to your place."

"You're probably right. I just don't want to bother you more than I have to," she responded.

"You're not bothering me. Besides, I did tell you that I have a telescope in my patio. Want to take a look at the stars?"

Sam grinned. "Hell yeah I want to look at the stars. Lead the way."

Jason smiled, obviously enthused about her excitement. He led her to his patio, holding the sliding door open for her to walk through. When she slipped on her jacket, Jason couldn't help but let his eyes rake over her backside.

Not only did they have a lot in common, but she was beautiful too.

"I usually look at the stars when I'm having a bad day or if I'm not getting any progress on a certain case. It eases my mind," Jason said, sitting down at the nearby chair.

Sam nodded in understanding, looking through the viewfinder and grinning at how clear the stars looked. When she was younger, a telescope was something she always yearned to ask for on birthdays and Christmases.

Jason allowed the silence to consume the both of them, simply allowing Sam to gaze at the stars.

Then she spoke.

"There's something about the stars that is oddly soothing to me," she said.

Jason arched a brow, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees. "What do you mean?"

She pulled away from the telescope to lean against the railing, looking at him with a small, timid smile. Jason found it endearing at how easily shy she could become.

"Well, there are people in this world who thinks the world revolves around them, right? I'm sure you've encountered people like that, but when you look at the stars and you read up on space and the galaxy, their actions seem almost childish. The world is a much bigger place than we all imagine, you know? The stars, though, it has been around for hundreds and hundreds of years and you look up and it's still _there_. I probably sound extremely ridiculous right now, but you get my point. Right?" Sam asked, biting her lower lip in embarrassment. She didn't mean to go off in a tangent.

"No, no. You don't sound ridiculous at all. In fact, I understand _exactly_ what you're talking about. It's a wake-up call, you know? I like to think that looking at the stars, reading facts about space help me humble myself. So, don't feel embarrassed. It's not every day that you can talk to someone about a topic like this and have them understand," Jason smiled. He stood up, walking over to her and leaning against the railing next to her.

She was shorter than she was, but he knew that if her head rested against him, it would fit perfectly against the crook of his neck.

Jason bit his lower lip, staring down at her as her eyes deviate back up to the night sky. His eyes traced her structured jawline down the softness and fullness of her lips. Then, his eyes moved to her own. The stars and moon, despite how far it was, seemed to reflect off her orbs in the most beautiful way possible.

She was beautiful and Jason was captivated.

Slowly, Sam looked up at him. She noticed that he was staring at her.

"What…?" She asked quietly.

"Nothin'." He replied, trying to act coolly as his eyes moved back up to the sky. Usually, Jason had his feelings under control, but it was different with her.

It was different with _Sam_.

"Can I ask _you_ something?" Jason asked.

"Sure, go for it."

"Why did you move to Chicago?"

Sam bit her lower lip, her eyes dropping to her hands for a moment.

"I needed a change. Nothing was happening for me in California. I was feeling trapped. I needed to get out. I lived in California my entire life, you know? I just – I needed some place _new_. I guess it showed me that I can't stay in one place very long. I like to keep moving," she replied.

"What made you decide to keep moving? To just up and leave?"

"I wanted new experiences. I wanted to meet new people. I wanted to see the world," Sam laughed quietly to herself. It sounded ridiculous. "I must sound really crazy to you, huh?"

Jason smiled, shaking his head. "Not at all. Like I said at breakfast, I understand because I'm the exact same way. At one point, I would like to settle down, maybe have a family, but right now, no one is convincing me to do that."

Sam bit her lower lip, "Not even Alicia?"

Jason playfully narrowed his eyes. "It's a complicated relationship. She's still married. She uses me, and I use her. It's that simple."

Sam arched a brow, leaning in to his personal space. She could practically inhale his intoxicating scent. He smelled _good_.

Jason looked down at her, his eyes deviating to her lips for a brief moment before she could notice.

"You're saying it's complicated then you're ending your sentence with it being simple? Contradictory, much?"

"Listen. Alicia and I have good sex. That's all that it is."

"Then what makes it so complicated, Jason?"

"She's still married," he answered instantly.

"Look, I barely know you and I barely know her. This friends and benefits thing you two have going on… It isn't going to last. One of you is bound to gain feelings. And you know what the sad thing is? _You_ may be the one to fall into that and she will _still_ choose to stay by her husband's side."

"You don't know me, Sam."

"You may be right, but you don't seem like the type of man to use a woman purely for sex unless _she_ wanted it to be just that. Like I said earlier… You deserve to be shown off, not kept a secret."

Jason sighed. He knew she was right. He wouldn't deny and say that Alicia didn't matter to him because she did. The sex was just a bonus, but he had to wonder if Alicia had to choose between him and Peter, would she end up with her husband or surprise everyone and choose _him_?

Jason would never put her in that position, but somehow, he knew it would come to that.

"Let's say you were Alicia. What would you do?" Jason asked.

"Well, if you put it that way, I'd choose neither of you. I don't need a man to be successful," she teased.

Jason laughed quietly. "I wasn't questioning yours or her ability to be successful. I'm talking about pure relationships, that's all."

"In that case, I'd choose you. I've read about Peter Florrick. I don't understand how she could still stand by his side after all that he's done. And assuming that you and Alicia have known each other for quite a while before jumping into bed with one another, I'd pick you. Plus, you're kind of hot, so there's a plus."

Jason arched a brow in surprise. He let a small smirk line his lips, looking down at her.

"Oh, you think I'm hot?"

"And here comes the ego. What happened to being humble?" She teased.

"That was before a beautiful woman complimented me." Jason replied.

Sam blushed, biting her lower lip.

"You think I'm beautiful?" She asked hesitantly.

"Have _you_ looked in the mirror? Come on, Sam."

Arching a brow, Sam chuckled nervously. She playfully hit his arm, causing him to stumble back a bit with an amused grin on his lips.

"You're trouble, Jason Crouse."

"Oh, I _know_."

After their talk, they migrated back into the living room. She was lying on the couch, watching the movie that Jason had put on for her. She was curled into a ball and her eyes were slowly falling shut.

When Jason was sure that she had fallen asleep, he quietly stood from his own seat to retrieve a blanket for her. Setting it over her body carefully, he looked down at her, watching her carefully. This must have been the first time she had fallen asleep without having to worry about Todd.

Jason walked to his bedroom to change into a black turtleneck and black pants. He had somewhere he had to go. When he pulled on a black beanie and his shoes, Jason hesitated before lifting Sam into his arms. She was probably safer in his bedroom.

Sam instantly leaned against him, resting her cheek against his chest for comfort. Jason smiled, setting her down on his mattress and seeing her instantly curl back into a ball.

Despite having her on his bed, Jason couldn't help a butterfly feeling settle at the pit of his stomach. He didn't know what this new friendship was trying to tell him.

Jason set her phone nearby, sending her a quick text saying that he would be back and not to worry or leave. Quietly leaving his bedroom, Jason left his apartment in hopes to visit the one man that was terrorizing the woman he was slowly beginning to care for.

He made sure to glance around his complex for the familiar car and when he didn't see it, he figured that Todd would be at home.

Jason followed the directions to Todd's house, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. He knew it was dangerous to see him, but Todd needed to understand that he had to stay away from Sam.

He tightened his jaw once he pulled up to the front of Todd's house. He watched as his shadow was seen from the window, watching as Todd was pacing back and forth in what seemed like his living room.

With a heavy sigh, Jason climbed out of his truck and walked to Todd's front door. After a gentle knock, Jason rolled his neck, grunting in the process at the quiet cracks that followed. He needed to let out some steam soon.

When Todd opened the door, Jason smirked.

"We need to talk," he said, pushing Todd inside his own home before Jason followed.

"W – What? Who are you? I'll call the police!" Todd threatened.

Jason maintained his grin.

"Cut the act, Todd. You know who I am. You've seen me with Sam. You want to tell me why you're following her around after we gave you a restraining order?"

Todd tightened his jaw at the mention of Sam. No one was supposed to have her. She was _his_.

"It's a temporary restraining order."

"And it has the same consequences as a permanent one. Now, you listen close, Todd. You follow her around, you lay a hand on her, if you're even within a hundred yards from her, I will make it _my_ mission to make sure you rot in prison," Jason threatened.

"Who are you anyway? You're certainly not her boyfriend," Todd said angrily.

"No, I'm not. Just a concerned friend. Believe me, Todd. You do _not_ want me coming back here for another visit."

Jason glanced around Todd's house, his eyes instantly zeroing in on the little makeshift shrine that Todd must have made. It had various photos of Sam that looked to be private photos that she would only share with close friends and family. He also got a glimpse of a few photos that seemed to be made through an editing program to make it look like Todd and Sam were in one photo together.

It was sickening.

"I'm not scared of you," Todd said.

Jason grinned, bringing his fist back before it connected once more with Todd's jaw. The other man instantly stumbled back, falling on his backside onto the floor.

"You should be," Jason threatened.

He walked towards the front door, looking down at his hand and noticing his knuckles that were slightly busted open. It was going to be difficult to explain to Sam about what happened. Alicia would understand, but Jason didn't know how Sam would react.

"Stay away from Sam," he said. Jason left the house with a slam of the door and walked back to his truck. Once he was driving back to his apartment, Jason sent a quick text to Alicia saying that Sam had fallen asleep at his apartment and that he got into a physical altercation with Todd himself.

Her simple reply was, _"We need to talk."_

Jason didn't know what that meant. It could either indicate the situation with Todd or his relationship with Alicia.

Though, in the back of his mind, it didn't matter. He just couldn't wait to go home and be with Sam.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** More development between Jason and Sam! Enjoy! :)

* * *

The next morning, Sam awoke on a very comfy, large bed. Widening her eyes at the memory of last night, she instantly sat up. It looked like she was in Jason's room. She found her phone resting beside her and when she looked to see if there were any missed messages, there was only one and it was from Jason.

Before she could even reply, she heard his voice coming from the kitchen. Quietly, she climbed off his bed and made sure her hair wasn't a mess before walking out of his room.

"Alicia, can we talk about this later? Yeah. She's asleep. He followed her last night. What do you want me to do? Make her go home when that maniac is following her?"

Sam bit her lower lip. She knew she wasn't supposed to be eavesdropping, but she couldn't help it. Jason sounded angry. She had to wonder if his text was a hidden meaning that he left to go see Alicia; she wouldn't doubt it though.

"Okay. Yeah. We'll talk later." He hung up the phone and set it aside on the counter. Jason ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Sam wasn't used to seeing him so unkempt and frazzled. She was used to seeing him well put together.

"Jason?" She quietly called out.

He looked up, not bothering to hide the fact that he was dressed in a grey t-shirt and boxers.

"You're awake… Are you feeling okay?"

Sam cleared her throat. Certainly, she would remember if they did anything last night. Right?

"Did we –"

Jason shook his head. "No, of course not. It's not like we drank last night and I certainly didn't drug you. I slept on the couch. I figured you needed the rest."

"Thank you… But, you didn't really need to do that."

He shrugged a shoulder, setting a plate of food and a cup of coffee onto the counter. Jason motioned for her to take a seat and she eagerly obliged.

"Is everything okay?" She asked.

Jason sighed. Not only was he getting an earful out of Alicia, but Lucca was spamming his phone with messages that what he did last night was stupid.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Why?" He lied.

Jason sat next to her, sipping on his cup of coffee. When he set his mug down, Sam noticed his bruised knuckles. She set her fork down and instantly took his hand in her own. It felt oddly comfortable and normal to hold his hand.

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"Nothin'."

"You're lying."

"I just had a run in with someone last night."

Sam narrowed her eyes.

"Where did you go?"

"Nowhere important. Listen, Alicia just called and –"

"You went to see him, didn't you?"

Jason sighed, "I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?"

Sam dropped his hand and bit her lower lip, turning her attention to the food in front of her. She sipped on her cup of coffee nervously, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. She missed his contact.

"It wasn't my place to see him. But you need to hear me out, okay?" Jason said.

"I'm not angry. If anything, I'm upset that you decided to hurt yourself because of _me_."

He shook his head, "This isn't your fault, Sam."

"I should have stopped going to that coffee shop once I knew what his intentions were. This could have easily been avoided if I wasn't so stubborn," she replied, pushing the plate of food away from her.

Jason pouted. "You need to eat." He put the plate back in front of her and handed her the fork.

"You shouldn't have to change where you work because some creep doesn't get the hint. He's at fault here. No one else," he added.

"I just keep thinking of different scenarios that I could have prevented this. What if I didn't talk to him when he said hello? What if I acted like a total bitch? Would that have made him stop? Would that have made him uninterested?"

Her hands were shaking and she climbed off the seat to walk towards the door before Jason gently took a hold of her wrist.

"Sam, stop…"

When she turned around to look at him, Jason noticed the tears pooling around her eyes. Out of instinct, he pulled her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her trembling frame. Jason wasn't expecting this type of reaction to come from her, but he was glad that he was here to attempt to comfort her.

Jason's hand ran along her back to soothe her cries and he was sure that his grey shirt had stains of tears, but he didn't mind. He had come to realize that he loved having her in his arms.

"Your actions do not have to be justified, okay? You did what anyone would do if a stranger would come up to them. You were polite. You were kind. You _did_ **not** know that he would stalk you, Sam."

She looked up at him and he felt his heart break at the sight of her. He hoped that he would soon be able to see her smile.

"I'm sorry… Your shirt is all –"

"I don't care about my shirt. Are you okay?"

Sam nodded, "Thank you. I know you don't have to do this. You don't have to be taking care of me."

"I know I don't have to, but I want to. I think it's safe to say you're my friend now," he smiled.

Sam simply wiped her tears away. She moved her eyes to the floor and sighed, stepping away from his arms. Jason tried not to show his disappointment when she decided to move away from him. He was hoping that she would agree with his statement about being her friend.

"You should finish your breakfast," he said.

Sam nodded, walking back to the dining room and sitting in her chair. She began to eat quietly, sipping on her coffee occasionally. Jason glanced over at her and sighed, rubbing his eyes absently.

Slowly, he walked over to her and sat down.

"I need to tell you something," he said.

Sam arched a brow, finally finishing her food and setting it aside. She turned to face him, her eyes staring intently into his own.

"When I went to his place last night… I saw a small 'shrine' that he had of you, Sam. He had personal pictures of you and even photos that were photoshopped so that you two were in one photograph. I didn't want you finding out from Alicia or Lucca. I wanted to tell you myself."

Sam dropped her gaze again. Jason sighed in disappointment. He just wanted to hold her again.

"Okay…"

Jason arched a brow. "Okay? That's it?"

"What do you want me to say to that, Jason?" Sam replied. She was becoming increasingly tired of this entire situation. Ever since she got Alicia, Lucca, and Jason involved, she was losing more sleep than she thought she ever would. Sam was constantly on edge ever since that night Todd kissed her. She had to wonder if she never consulted with Alicia if Todd would have even tried anything.

Sure, Sam wasn't thinking logically. It was bound to happen.

"I don't know…" He said, biting his lower lip.

Sam sighed, "I don't mean to take out my anger out on you or cry in front of you. It's not fair to you. You're just doing your job."

"Part of my job is to make sure my client is safe."

"I know that, but is it part of your job to let your client spend the night?"

Jason tightened his jaw. "We had breakfast and it was amazing. You like space and stars and the galaxy. You don't like to stay in one place for very long and for some reason, I feel a connection with you. I can't place what it is. I can't explain it."

"What are you saying, Jason?"

"I'm saying that ever since I saw Todd kissing you, I don't want you to feel afraid anymore. We had breakfast that following day and you hadn't slept. You were constantly looking over my shoulder and yours to see if he would just magically show up. I don't want you to be scared," he said.

Sam didn't know what he was trying to say. It was impossible for someone like _him_ to develop feelings for someone like _her_ at such a short amount of time. Besides, he was with Alicia and she was more of his type, more successful, aside from the fact that she was married.

"I appreciate what you've done for me, Jason. Believe me, I do. I just want everything back to normal. I'm so close to packing my things and leaving," she replied honestly.

There was a hint of disappointment that flashed through Jason's features. Sam definitely took notice.

"But you don't want to leave, do you?" He asked.

Sam shook her head slowly. "I don't. I haven't explored Chicago yet. I haven't done what I wanted to do while I've been here."

"I feel the same way. There are days where I wish I could just leave, but something is stopping me. Maybe because I haven't seen all of Chicago."

Sam relaxed a bit. She couldn't believe how much she had in common with him. Despite feeling like a burden, she was glad that she had slept over. He made her feel safe and the way he looked at her made her feel beautiful, even if it wasn't intentional.

Before she could reply, his phone rang and he excused himself to answer it. Sam watched him walk down the hallway, disappearing into his bedroom. She sighed, grabbing her plate and their two empty mugs before bringing it to the sink.

She figured she would return the favor and clean his dirty dishes, which wasn't much. After about five minutes, Jason walked back to the dining room to find it empty. He heard the water running from the kitchen and stepped inside, smiling to himself as he leaned against the doorway.

"You know, you didn't have to do that," he said.

Sam looked over her shoulder at him and gave him the tiniest of smiles. It wasn't much, but he'd take it.

"It's fine. It's the least I could do. Besides, it seems like you are very fond of takeout if you don't have many dishes to wash."

Jason chuckled, walking towards her before he decided to lean against the counter.

"I'm always on the go. I don't have enough time to make homemade dinners."

"You're missing out. Homemade pasta is the _best_ ," she replied.

Jason arched a brow. "Oh yeah? Want to cook for me sometime?"

Sam grabbed a paper towel to dry her hands after she finished, playfully narrowing her eyes in his direction.

"That sounds like you're asking me out, Mr. Crouse."

He grinned, "And so what if I am?"

"You're taken, remember?"

Jason's grin faltered before he shrugged a shoulder. What was he doing? Jason wasn't a man to cheat on the woman he was currently with. He needed to stop before his words got the best of him.

"It'd just be dinner between two friends who like to talk about space."

"Well, if you put it that way, of course," she replied.

Jason slightly widened his eyes. "Really?"

"Just friends, right?" Sam asked.

He nodded.

"Then I see no problem as to why we can't have dinner," she replied.

"Great. How about you head home to change and I'll grab us the ingredients then meet back here?" He suggested.

"Sounds like a plan."

"And Sam? If anything happens or if you feel like you're being watched, call me."

Sam nodded. "Okay, Jason."

Later that night, Sam was driving back to Jason's house. She was dressed in leggings and an oversized knit sweater. She didn't find the need to dress up and look nice for him, though she did it anyway, but Jason made her feel like she didn't need to be pampered to look good.

She knocked on his door once she made it to his place. Sam was slightly nervous, simply because she didn't know if this was a good idea. He was with Alicia and despite Alicia still being married, it was still wrong.

"Hey. Come on in." Jason held the door open for her and she smiled, which he immediately found himself staring at. He wanted to see more of that, so he made it his mission to make her laugh or smile throughout tonight.

"You going to help me cook or are you going to go into your office and wait until I call you to tell you that dinner is ready?" She teased, walking to the kitchen after she removed her shoes.

Jason chuckled, shaking his head. "I would actually love to learn how to cook. Especially pasta."

Sam smiled, "Come on then," she took his hand and led him to the kitchen.

Jason bit his lower lip, watching as her hand curled around his. He smiled to himself. She seemed much happier now that she was here. He had to wonder if it was because of him.

"So, we boil the water and once it's boiling, we set the noodles into the pot to soften. Then we make our own version of Alfredo sauce," she said.

Jason wasn't necessarily listening. He was too focused on her maneuvering around his kitchen as if she had already been living here for quite a while. It made him think of future scenarios; he did tell her that he wanted to settle down and have a family sometime.

He was attracted to her, there was no denying that, but aside from the physical attraction, there was something else he couldn't place. Jason found himself constantly thinking about her, even when she wasn't in his presence and he met her only a couple of days ago.

"Hello? Jason? Are you listening?" Sam asked, waving her hands in his face.

He cleared his throat, nodding. "Y – Yeah! Sorry. Had a few things on my mind."

She arched a brow, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Let's make this Alfredo sauce."

"Wow. This is really good," Jason said, sitting at the dining table.

Sam smiled, causing his heart to skip a beat at the sight. "Well, we make a good team."

"Yeah right. All I did was stir the sauce for you. You did all the work."

"You stirred the sauce really well, thank you," she replied.

Jason laughed, shaking his head and continuing to eat. He was enjoying how she was so selfless and making sure that everyone around her was put first.

"So, Alicia called me after you left," he said.

Sam arched a brow, "Is everything okay?"

He grinned, flashing a dimpled smile in her direction. "Good news, actually. Alicia got a _permanent_ restraining order put on Todd. If he disobeys that, we can bring him to court. For now, we just have to wait. These civil suits are very tricky to work with. Stalking is also hard to prove unless he does something drastic, but we won't let it come to that."

Sam didn't know if she should feel happy or not. He was still out there and the only thing separating him from her was a damn restraining order that he could easily go against. It was proof that he didn't care about it. Hopefully he was taking it serious now that it was a permanent restraining order rather than a temporary one.

"That's great…" She finally replied.

Jason sighed, "You want him behind bars, don't you?"

Sam nodded. "It's the only thing that'll give me peace of mind, but for now, I'll be patient. Thank you. And thank you to Alicia and Lucca."

"We're just doing our jobs," he said.

"I know you are, but you've went out of your way to make sure I was okay. So, thank you, Jason."

"It's not a problem. Besides, I kind of like your company."

Sam smiled, "It's because we can both geek out about space, huh?"

Jason returned her smile with one of his own. "That's _definitely_ it."


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** Yes, more fluff! I think it's safe to say that this is the calm before the storm…

* * *

It had been a week since Sam spent the night at Jason's house. The night after their friendly dinner date, she was glad to have gone to Buzz without seeing Todd sitting at his usual spot. It was such a relief – maybe he was going to listen and abide by the restraining order.

Jason was busy with work, so their communication was limited to only a few texts here and there. Sam figured he was also busy with Alicia, but she didn't mind. He was simply her friend. Nothing else.

Autumn had just begun and the trees were turning its leaves to its beautiful yellow color before falling to the pavement. Sam always loved Autumn and Winter. She loved to bundle herself up in a large blanket with a cup of coffee while watching a movie.

Since moving to Chicago, she found the weather to be much more enjoyable than California's.

As Sam slipped on a maroon turtleneck knit sweater over her black jeans, she heard a knock at the door following the ringing of a doorbell. She was glad that she wasn't still lounging in her pajamas or else she would have had to hide from this stranger.

Looking into the peephole, Sam furrowed a brow to see Jason, though in the back of her mind, she was glad to see him.

Slowly opening the door, Jason turned around to look at her, smiling.

"Going somewhere?" He asked.

"I was going to walk around. It's a nice day out."

Jason grinned, stepping into Sam's apartment after she motioned for him to step inside. He took this chance to look around her small apartment. It was ironically similar to his own in the sense that it was plain.

"What's up, Jason?"

He turned around to face her, pocketing his hands into his jeans.

"How are you doing?"

Sam smiled, playing with the end of her hair absently. "I'm doing well, actually. I haven't seen Todd in over a week, so I think we sent the message loud and clear."

Jason smiled, "That's great news. Listen, I was around the neighborhood and thought I would stop by."

She arched a brow, "What for…?"

"Well, you said you haven't gotten a chance to see Chicago. I haven't either, so I figured I'd ask if you wanted to explore the city with me," Jason offered.

Sam smiled to herself, slipping on her black ankle boots. "It's a good thing I'm ready. I'd love to explore Chicago."

Jason grinned, motioning to her front door. Sam grabbed her bag and led him out of her apartment, locking it behind her.

Once in the elevator, Sam leaned against the railing and looked over at Jason who looked deep in thought. She had to wonder if his mind drifted to something work-related or Alicia-related. Either way, if they were going to explore Chicago, then she wasn't going to allow him to sulk.

"Did you hear about Peter's announcement?" Sam asked.

Jason nodded, deciding to remain quiet.

"You know, you're having an affair with the governor's wife who may possibly become President. I don't know if that's wrong or an accomplishment," Sam teased.

Jason looked at her and smiled, shaking his head. "Oh, you're funny."

"Thanks. I'll be here all day," she laughed.

They stepped out of the elevator once they reached the main floor of her apartment building. Before they could leave, Sam extended her hand out. Jason furrowed a brow in confusion.

"What?" He asked.

"Give me your phone."

"What? No. Someone from work may call."

Sam sighed, pulling her phone out from her bag and turning it off. "We're going to enjoy Chicago without any interruptions. So, hand it over."

Jason narrowed his eyes, pulling his phone out to make sure there weren't any missed messages. "If I miss anything important, I'm blaming you."

Sam grinned in accomplishment, turning his phone off and setting it in her bag as well. "Go ahead. Today, we're going to have fun."

"You're trouble," he said, narrowing his eyes.

"I'll take that as a compliment. Thank you."

* * *

"So, this is the famous bean, huh?" Sam asked, looking up at it with interested eyes.

Jason smiled, standing next to her as his eyes look at her from the reflection of the bean. The more time he spent with her, the less he was thinking of Alicia. It had been a week since he last talked with Sam, but surprisingly enough, nothing seemed to change in their friendship.

He wished he knew what her lips felt like though.

"Give me my phone," Jason said.

Sam arched a brow, "What? Why?"

"I won't check my messages. I just want to take a photo."

She hesitantly pulled his phone out of her bag and handed it to him, seeing him press the right buttons to turn it on. Once it was up and running, he pressed the Camera app and then lifted his phone to face her.

"Now, smile."

"Wait! You're taking a picture of me?! Why?!" Sam asked, blushing instantly. She never liked to have her photo taken, but somehow with Jason, she felt confident enough to pose for him.

"Because I want to remember this day. Now, don't make me treat you like a little kid and tell you to say cheese," he teased.

Sam giggled, staring at the camera with a big grin on her face. Jason snapped the photo from his phone, smiling at her from the screen before he stood next to her. His arm wrapped around her shoulders, bringing her close to his side as he brought the camera to face them.

Sam looked up at him with a smile just as he took the photo, biting her lower lip. She felt safe in his arms and when he let go, she was slightly disappointed.

Jason looked down at the photo of the two of them, smiling to himself. He was grinning broadly and Sam was staring up at him with a small smile on her lips. There was no way he would forget this day.

"Can we eat? I'm starving," Sam asked.

Jason grinned, "Would you like to try Chicago-style deep dished pizza?"

Sam widened her eyes, nodding instantly. "Oh my god, yes. Don't tempt me with pizza."

Jason laughed quietly, taking her hand without realizing it. Before he could even think of letting go, Sam smiled and squeezed his hand to let him know that this was okay. He looked over his shoulder at her and flashed her a smile, leading her back to his truck.

* * *

Jason set his jacket over the chair, clad in a dark long sleeve with two buttons undone at the top. Sam couldn't help but let her eyes deviate at the now exposed chest hair peeking through. She cleared her throat, waiting for their pizza to arrive.

"So, before I was a private investigator, I was a lawyer," Jason said; they were continuing the conversation they had in the car.

"You've always fought for the people, haven't you?" She teased.

He chuckled, "Well, I got disbarred. I can't practice law anymore."

"Okay, this story I have to hear. What did you do?"

Jason arched a brow, "Who said _I_ did something?"

"Are you saying you're innocent?" Sam giggled, tucking a strand behind her ear.

"It's no point in saying who was right and who was wrong anyway. Not anymore, at least."

Jason didn't know why he was willing to talk to her about his life. He couldn't even talk to Alicia about himself. He knew she heard rumors about him, but there was something about Sam that made him want to tell her things that not many people knew.

"You can't say that you were disbarred and not continue on with the story! That's just wrong," Sam said, crossing a leg over her own. She watched him carefully, making sure that she wasn't crossing any boundaries by pressing the subject further.

"Do a Google search of me when you get home and then if you formulate your own opinion, I'll let you know," Jason said, watching as the waitress set down their large pizza onto the table.

"You're lucky that the pizza saved your ass or else I would have pried out the information from you."

"You could try," he teased.

Sam found that she was actually enjoying herself. It was too bad that it wasn't a date. Or was it? She didn't know, but she did know that he took her hand and when she didn't pull away, neither did he. Sam had to wonder if the feelings she was slowly developing for him wasn't just one-sided. Surely, there had to be some attraction on his end.

"Okay, we had four slices of pizza. I can't believe I ate one and a half. The pizza was huge," Sam said, rubbing her abdomen absently.

Jason chuckled, tilting his head in amusement. "Yeah. I ate two and then ate your other slice because you couldn't finish it. I'm full too."

When the check was placed onto the table, Jason quickly grabbed it and set his card down, handing it to the waitress. When he looked at Sam, he noticed the other woman with her arms crossed over her chest.

"I'm going to pay. Don't try and stop me," he said.

"We could have split the check, Jason."

"Let me be a gentleman, Sam. It's okay."

He led her out of the restaurant and back to his truck, glancing at his watch. They managed to walk the streets of downtown Chicago and even went on one of those tours that would take them around Chicago to give them information about each building. Sam teased that it was a waste of time and Jason agreed, so instead, they spent that entire hour making jokes and poking fun at one another.

"We've got one more place to visit," Jason said.

Sam climbed into his truck and arched a brow. Apparently, Jason loved surprises just as long as he wasn't on the receiving end.

"Are you going to tell me or will you keep it a secret?"

"I think I'm going to keep it a secret until we get there," he grinned.

Once Jason pulled up to the parking lot, Sam furrowed a brow. They were parked in a parking garage and had to take an elevator to the main floor, but she couldn't help but feel excited. They had so many things in common that wherever they were, she knew she would enjoy it.

Jason led her out of the parking garage and towards the front of venue, glancing over at Sam.

"Jason! It's a Planetarium!" She stated excitedly.

Jason laughed quietly, nodding. "I know. The sun is about to set, so I think we can go and sit on the grass. It's got a perfect lakeside view of the Chicago skyline."

"Look at you being the romantic," Sam teased.

Again, Jason took her hand in his. Except, he took the chance and slowly laced their fingers so that their fingers were intertwined with one another. He glanced at her, noticing the blush appearing on her cheeks.

The moment Jason noticed her bite her lower lip following a small smile at the gesture, he knew he was in big trouble. He never developed feelings for a client before, but then again, he also never slept with his bosses so apparently this year was a constant firsts for him.

Once they were seated at the grass, Jason removed his hand from hers and allowed her to scoot closer to his side. When he noticed her shiver, he removed his jacket and placed it around her shoulders, causing her to look up at him.

Their faces remained inches from one another and she cleared her throat. All Sam had to do was move her head just a bit forward and their lips would meet, but instead, she pulled back and smiled.

"Thank you," she said, turning her attention to the skyline and the beautiful sunset casting a sparkling glitter against the surface of the water.

Jason found himself staring at her more than the view. He never thought he would like someone as much as he did with Sam. For once in his life, he was contemplating on his decision to keep moving.

Sam had asked him that if a woman were to come into his life, would he decide to stay then. Now, he believed he had the answer and she was sitting right next to him.

"This was an amazing day, Jason. Thank you," she said, glancing up at him.

He shrugged a shoulder casually, smiling down at her. "Well, exploring the big city alone wouldn't be as fun. I had a good time too though, so thank _you_ for being good company."

Sam opted to remain quiet before she blurted out something she wouldn't be able to take back. At the back of her mind, she knew he was taken. It was complicated. He was with another woman, but that woman was with another man – married to another man.

Would Jason be cheating if she were to kiss him?

She didn't want to find out.

Slowly, Sam decided to rest her cheek against his shoulder. She found that she loved being close to him. This entire day, she found herself sitting or standing closer to him than what she was used to. On the tour of Chicago, his arm was draped at the back of her seat and Sam took that as an invitation to lean against him.

He didn't mind, in fact, he pulled her closer.

This time was no different.

Jason felt comfortable with her. So, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and let his cheek rest at the crown of her head. He couldn't help but wonder what her lips felt like, but as those thoughts entered his mind, Jason couldn't stop thinking about what Alicia would think.

He was still with her and despite the complexity of their relationship, Jason was a faithful man. Though, his thoughts weren't completely innocent. He was thinking about Sam and Alicia was the last person on his mind.

"Do you want to head inside?" Jason asked, glancing down at her.

Sam nodded, pulling away from him. She stood from the grass and brushed her pants before she handed him his jacket. He smiled down at her and took her hand, leading her into the building of the Planetarium.

Once inside, both Sam and Jason felt like a little kid at a candy store. They didn't know where to go first, what to do first. Everything surrounding them was so fascinating that when they looked at each other, they simply just laughed.

They knew they would be here a while.

* * *

After their "date," Jason dropped her off back at her apartment. He was even very gentlemanly to walk her to her door. Though, they both knew nothing would happen.

"I had so much fun. The Planetarium was amazing," Sam told him, unlocking her door and pushing her door open.

Jason smiled, looking into her eyes. "I don't think I have ever geeked out like that since I was a kid. It was nice."

"I think I'm going to go there again. We obviously didn't see everything we wanted to see since we were kicked out," she laughed.

"If you don't invite me, I will feel very offended."

"What if I want my alone time, Jason?"

He grinned, "Screw your alone time. You know it was fun to nerd out at what we saw back there. I mean, even the kids looked at us weirdly."

Sam shook her head, leaning in to kiss his cheek. When she pulled back, she bit her lower lip and stepped into her apartment, hiding behind the door. Jason stared at her with an amused look, smiling to himself.

"Good night, Sam."

"Good night, Jason.

* * *

The following night, Sam spent the entire day cleaning her apartment. She wondered when the next time she would see Jason and she hoped that she didn't have to wait another week.

Sam sat on her couch with a bowl of macaroni and cheese with a movie playing. She loved to relax and since Todd was out of the picture, she found herself to be more at ease since moving here.

Everything was falling into place. Maybe she could get used to staying here in Chicago.

During a very dramatic, tear-filled scene of the movie, Sam's phone rang and she tried to wipe the tears that had fallen. She didn't know why she decided to put on _P.S. I Love You._ She had watched this movie many times and still, she wanted to put herself through the pain and ugly crying she was doing right now.

"H – Hello?" She hiccupped, pausing the movie.

"Are you crying?" Jason asked, concern in his voice.

"… Maybe. I'm watching a movie."

"You're crying. Do you want me to come over?"

"And what? Cry with me? I'm fine, Jason," she smiled. Sam was kind of glad that he was willing to drop whatever he was doing to make sure she was okay, despite her tears being meaningless.

"Well, I do like a good movie."

Sam laughed, wiping her tears away and turning the movie off. She stood up and set her empty bowl in the kitchen, letting the phone rest between her ear and shoulder.

"What's up? Is everything okay?" She asked.

"Everything's fine. I just wanted to ask if you wanted to go out for drinks tonight."

Sam bit her lower lip, "You sure you don't have a date with the First Lady?"

"You're never going to let me live that down, will you?"

"Oh, I've got more jokes brewing up in my mind as we speak."

Sam smiled at the sound of Jason's laughter, biting her lower lip. She didn't answer his question about going out for drinks, but she was staring at the many dresses she had in her closet right now.

"Yeah. Yeah. So, do you want to grab a few drinks with me?" Jason repeated.

"Be here in an hour," Sam replied.

Oh, she knew the exact dress to wear and she could not wait to put on a show for him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** This part definitely has tons of sexual tension between the two! But stay tuned! Things are going to get heavy in the upcoming chapters!

* * *

Sam had finished getting ready, looking herself over through the mirror in her bathroom. She bit her lower lip at the sound of a doorbell, making sure that her red lipstick was still intact. Deep down, she wanted to show Jason that there was more to her than the usual knit sweaters and jeans.

"Be there in a sec!" She said loud enough for him to hear.

Sam was wearing a sleeveless, thin spaghetti strapped dress with a low v-cut that tightened around her curves. It stopped at her calves, revealing the slit along her upper thigh and downwards. She finished her outfit with black heels and the only color that she was wearing was the red lipstick.

Oh, she was determined to make Jason squirm.

Walking to the door, she slowly opened it. Sam thought she was able to maintain her composure, but Jason was just as breathtaking. He was wearing a black turtleneck with specks of white scattered on the fabric, a black leather jacket over it and his usual black jeans and boots. His hair was slightly slicked back and he was sporting his black framed glasses.

Sam wanted nothing more than to just throw all her morals out the window and pull him into her apartment for a night filled with good sex.

"Hi…" She said, staring up at him.

Jason stepped into her apartment, pocketing a hand before he turned around to face her. His smile disappeared when he realized just exactly what she was wearing. He wasn't used to seeing her like this. Her makeup was very simple and natural, the red lipstick contrasted well with her black dress…

God, her black dress.

Jason couldn't help but let his eyes rake over her. Usually, he didn't like to stare at women, but he couldn't help it. She looked _stunning_.

"You look great," he finally replied.

His eyes followed her bare arms to her exposed cleavage down to the curves that her tight dress flaunted. Then, he noticed the slit of her dress. His hand itched to graze the soft skin at her thigh down to her calf.

It was going to take a lot in him to keep his hands to himself.

"You do too. Only you can pull off a turtleneck with a leather jacket," she giggled, grabbing her purse. "Ready to go?"

Jason nodded, motioning for her to exit her apartment first. It gave him another glance of her backside. It felt wrong to look at another woman when he was in a relationship with Alicia, but ever since Sam came into his life, he was thinking more and more about what he truly had with Alicia.

Sam bit her lower lip, locking her door. She could smell his lingering cologne and she wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around him so that it could fill her entire senses rather than just a lingering scent in the air.

"I figured we'd take a cab to the bar just in case. I don't want to put you or myself at risk if you and I have too much to drink," Jason said.

It was oddly quiet between the two. Usually, they would _always_ have something to talk about, but right now, both seem to be too distracted.

"Thank you. Always thinking ahead," Sam replied.

"I've got to," he grinned.

* * *

Once arriving to the bar, Jason paid the cab driver before extending a hand out for Sam. She instantly took it, watching as he allowed their fingers to lace with one another again. It reminded her of their day out in Chicago.

She kept up with his strides, leaning against him. Jason smiled to himself, leading her inside to the bar. The dance floor was packed with various people and the booths were all taken, so Jason led her to the counter of the bar instead.

"Do you know what you want to get?" Jason whispered in her ear, overpowering the loud music.

Sam shivered, nodding as she looked up at him. They were dangerously close to each other again.

"Rum and coke would be perfect," she replied, leaning up to whisper.

Jason pulled back, nodding down at her before he turned to the bartender. He ordered a bottle of beer for himself. When the bartender set her drink onto the counter, Sam smiled her thanks and lifted the glass to her lips.

Jason watched her carefully. Her body was absently swaying to the music. Her lips attached itself to the rim of the glass, sipping a good portion of her drink. He watched as she darted her tongue out to lick her plump, red lips and he had to look away before a specific body part of his got too excited.

"Wow, that's delicious!" She exclaimed.

"I would have never pegged you as a rum and coke kinda girl," he replied.

Sam winked, "There are more to me than you know, Mr. Crouse."

He growled down at her. When he took a long swig of his beer, he felt her tug on his arm in the direction of the dance floor. She had taken her glass and downed the rest of her drink like a goddamn _pro_. Jason was amused.

"Wait, I can't dance, Sam!" He said, gently tugging on her hand to stop her from walking.

"Oh, come on. _Everyone_ can dance. Live a little. What is there to lose?" When Jason didn't reply, Sam's grin broadened, "Exactly. Now, let's go."

Jason and Sam were too distracted by each other that they failed to notice that there was someone following them, watching their every move. He sat in the corner of the room, watching as Sam dragged Jason to the dance floor.

* * *

Sam faced Jason and smiled, taking both of his hands and gently swaying with him. Jason allowed himself to loosen up a bit, allowing her to take ahold of his hands; it made him feel much better for some odd reason.

Though, when Sam turned her back to him, Jason cleared his throat. He glanced around to the other couples dancing near them and it seemed like the women were grinding their backside against the men. Jason didn't know how much more he could take if she were to take a small step back to press herself against him.

Sam shut her eyes, raising her arms in the air as she let her hips move side to side. She could feel Jason's body heat lingering behind her, but she decided to keep a decent amount of space between their bodies.

As the beat of the music began to pick up, Sam looked over her shoulder at him and smiled, taking one of his hands to let it rest on her hip. She bit her lower lip, taking a step back to let her backside graze against his front.

Jason's quiet gasp of surprise was drowned out by the loud music. His hand gripped at her hip, watching her move against him expertly. He wanted to run his other hand along her side. He wanted to pull her up against him. He wanted to _kiss_ her.

Sam shut her eyes, allowing her hips to move with the beat. She could feel the outline of his manhood through his pants and she allowed a quiet whimper to escape her lips. She couldn't get attached, especially not to someone who was dating an important figure in Chicago, secret or not.

Jason was still taken.

When the song began to slow down, Sam stood upright before she felt herself being turned around. Her eyes instantly met Jason's and she bit her lower lip, taking a step forward when his arm wrapped around her waist. He let his free hand hold onto hers, swaying slowly to the music.

"You're a good dancer," he whispered.

Sam smiled, resting her free hand onto his chest.

"You are too. And you said you couldn't dance. _Psh_ ," she teased.

Jason chuckled, looking down at her. When their eyes met once more, he couldn't help but wonder again what her lips felt like.

Sam licked her lips absently. She was enjoying the close proximity.

"Do you want another drink?" He asked.

Sam nodded, "Definitely."

Jason led her back to the bar, resting a hand on her lower back to guide her.

The mysterious man watched as the two were becoming very comfortable with one another. He couldn't help but feel jealousy bubble within him. Sam was _his_ and no other man was supposed to touch her. As much as he wanted to retaliate and hurt Jason, he couldn't make his presence known. He was going against his restraining order and if either Jason or Sam saw him, he would definitely go back to jail.

And Todd couldn't risk that because he wouldn't be able to see Sam anymore.

"Rum and coke?" Jason asked.

"Maybe a tequila this time. The buzz is gone," she giggled.

Jason smiled, ordering two shots of tequila. They brought their glasses to clink against one another before downing the drink. Sam scrunched up her nose, causing Jason to laugh at the expression on her face.

"Hey, don't laugh," she said, playfully hitting his chest.

Jason grinned down at her, "But you looked cute doing it, so am I forgiven?"

Sam narrowed her eyes. "I don't know. You'll have to make it up to me."

"And how do you suppose I do that? I'm already buying your drinks."

She crossed her arms over her chest, causing her cleavage to become more pronounced. Jason glanced down for a brief second, watching as her arms caused her breasts to push together.

"What'cha staring at?" Sam grinned teasingly.

Jason looked into her eyes, clearing his throat. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. It's not every day that I dress like this. Besides, I like it when you look at me."

Sam smiled, ordering another shot and downing it quickly. She welcomed the burn of alcohol, watching him carefully before motioning to the dancefloor. "When you're ready, meet me back on the dance floor. I love dancing with you, Jason."

Once Sam was on the dance floor, Jason sighed and ordered another beer. He didn't know what he was thinking asking her out for drinks because he was sure he was going to go home with a case of blue balls. He certainly didn't want to go to Alicia's house. He was afraid he may end up saying the wrong name during sex and he didn't want that.

He leaned against the counter, watching her from afar. Jason didn't know why it was so easy to spot her from a crowd of people. His eyes zeroed in on her as her hair swayed with each movement of her body. There was a carefree smile on her lips and he couldn't help but smile himself.

Now that Todd was gone from her life, she seemed more relaxed.

Downing the rest of his beer, Jason walked to the dance floor and took a chance by wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. He felt her stiffen against him but when she turned her head to look at him, Jason flashed her a reassuring smile.

"It's just me," he whispered into her ear. Jason could feel her shiver.

Sam nodded, moving her hips against his own. With each movement of her hips, he felt her backside graze against him repeatedly. She shut her eyes, reveling in the feel of him and how his hips were moving in sync with her own.

God, she was in trouble.

Slowly, she turned around to face him. Her hand cupped his cheek, staring into his eyes as their hips continue to move against one another. Dancing had become a second thought now that they were stuck in the same trance.

"Sam…" He whispered.

She rested her forehead against his, biting her lower lip. Just as she was going to move in for a kiss, Jason pulled away.

"I – I'm so sorry," she mumbled, walking away from him and the dance floor.

Jason sighed, walking after her. He took her wrist and turned her around to face him. They were outside now and away from the crowd of people and loud music.

"I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry, Jason."

He shook his head, "Hey. Don't apologize. It's fine."

"It's not. You're with someone, okay? What I did back there… It's unacceptable."

"You didn't do anything, Sam."

"But I was going to!"

Jason sighed, looking down at the pavement. He noticed he was still holding onto her wrist and instead of letting go, he gently pulled her to him. Jason enveloped her in a hug, resting his cheek against the crown of her head as his hand gently ran along her back.

He needed to be honest. He leaned down just for his lips to rest against her ear, whispering quietly.

"I pulled away because you've been drinking. _I've_ been drinking. If we're going to kiss, I want it to be when we are both sober."

Sam pulled back to look up at him.

"Y – You want to kiss me too?"

Jason chuckled, "I may be with Alicia, but there's something about you, Sam."

"Phew. I thought this was one-sided."

"I can assure you it isn't."

Jason smiled, kissing her forehead instead. Sam sighed contentedly, shutting her eyes and wrapping her arms around him as well. They hold each other for a few moments, unaware of Todd leaving the bar, but not after witnessing everything that happened.

When he saw Jason kiss her forehead, Todd curled his hands into fists. No one else was supposed to kiss Sam. She was _his_ and no one else's.

"You wanna head home?" Jason asked.

Sam nodded, "I think so. I'm not really into dancing and drinks like that."

"Oh? I'd say you have me fooled," he teased.

Jason extended a hand out for a cab, waiting for it to pull up to the curb. He removed his jacket and placed it around her shoulders. Sam smiled to herself, glancing up at him before she climbed into the cab.

"Well, I do like drinking and I do like dancing, but I don't know. I kind of like to do that privately…"

Jason arched a brow. "You're just a bundle of surprises tonight, aren't you, Sam?"

She giggled and leaned against him once Jason wrapped an arm around her shoulders for more heat. "Believe me… There are more you have yet to find out."

Jason smiled, "And I can't wait to find out."

"If I let you," she teased.

"Ooh, that's harsh."

They laugh quietly, remaining quiet afterwards and allowing the comfortable silence to fill the cab.

* * *

"All right. Get some rest," Jason said, dropping her off at her apartment.

She opened the door and looked over at him, removing his leather jacket and handing it back to him.

"I would ask for you to come in, but we both know I can't do that."

"You're a tease."

"I know, but I kinda like seeing you squirm," she laughed quietly.

Jason bit his lower lip and sighed, "I don't want to lead you on, Sam."

"Then don't."

"It isn't that simple, you know? I like Alicia, but I like you too."

Sam sighed. "I'm not going to be the woman you cheat with and I'm certainly not the type of woman who likes to share. Don't worry, though. I'm not going to make you choose. When you know, you'll know. I'm not rushing you."

Jason nodded, keeping his eyes downcast. "Do you know what happens when things get too complicated?"

Sam tightened her jaw and stepped forward to cup his cheek. "Don't run. Don't leave. I'm here as a friend first."

Jason looked up at her, staring into her eyes. He needed to think about what he wanted thoroughly. He needed to weigh the pros and cons with each woman before he could make his decision. He just hoped that it wouldn't cause him to leave because of how difficult it may be.

"Sam…"

"Nope. You're promising me. If you leave, I will _never_ forgive you."

"Okay. I promise," he replied. "Good night, Sam."

Jason began walking away before she sighed. She walked to the hallway and took his hand, turning him around. Sam hugged him tightly before kissing his cheek. When she pulled away, there was a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Thank you for tonight, Jason."

He grinned, "I had fun."

"I did too. I'll see you soon?"

Jason nodded, "Of course. Now, go on and get inside. I'll talk to you later."

Sam smiled, walking back to her apartment. She peeked her head out to watch him step into the elevator, waving in his direction. She shut her door and sighed contentedly, setting her heels aside in her closet.

Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door. Sam assumed that Jason must have made up his mind.

Opening the door, still clad in her dress, she smiled and began talking without realizing who it was.

"That was really quick, Ja –"

Sam looked up to see Todd, clearing her throat.

"Todd…"

"Hello, _beautiful_ ," he smirked, letting his eyes rake over her attire.

"Please, leave or I will call the cops," she threatened.

Todd maintained his smirk, stepping forcefully into her apartment and slamming the door shut. He was walking towards her in a threatening manner, his eyes deviating to her breasts before he stared at her.

"Oh, no no no. We've got a lot to talk about, darling. Why don't you go on and take a seat?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note/WARNING:** **TRIGGER WARNING FOR RAPE AND PHYSICAL ABUSE! I will put asterisks before it happens and after just in case you wish to read past it!**

Also, things are going to get interesting between Sam, Jason, and Alicia! Stay tuned! This was tough to write, but please read past the scene if you are uncomfortable. Thank you!

* * *

"Todd, please. Just leave and I won't call the police." Sam begged, taking a step back to distance herself from him.

Todd, however, was amused by her fear. "You don't have to be afraid of me, my sweet Samantha…"

"Todd, stop! We are nothing more than strangers who had a few conversations at a coffee shop. So please, just leave before you do something you regret."

"The only thing I regret was letting that stupid fuck get to me." He said angrily, his hands turning to fists.

Sam glanced around the living room. She needed to think fast. Her bag was near the front door and all she had to do was push past Todd and reach for her phone. Her door was still unlocked so all she had to do was grab the doorknob, turn it and run away.

"Sam, oh Sam… Why did you have to talk to that man? What is it about him that you like so much?! He's older than you! A lot older… What am _I_ doing wrong?" Todd continued, his eyes focused on her.

"He's just a friend, Todd… He's just a friend. That's all that is between him and I. He's got a girlfriend."

"Do not lie to me!" He yelled, causing Sam to flinch. "I saw you two at the bar! Friends do not dance like that with each other and friends certainly don't go in for a damn kiss!"

"I – I'm sorry, Todd… I'm sorry." Sam said, tears of fear hitting her eyes.

Todd took notice of her distress, taking another step forward. When he noticed her stepping away from him, he sighed and dropped his eyes.

"I love you, Samantha… I will do anything for you. Don't you understand that? I will sacrifice everything for you."

Sam took this chance to make a run for it. Instantly, she shoved him aside with all her strength and ran towards the front door.

* * *

 ************ TRIGGER WARNING ************

Todd instantly charged after her. He took a fistful of her hair and tugged her down to the floor with a hard crash of her body hitting her coffee table in the process. Sam had gotten a hold of her bag, the contents dropping to the floor.

She was a bit dizzy, managing to grab her phone but before she could dial Jason's number or even call 911, Todd was atop of her and his hands were around her throat. He squeezed, sucking the air out of her lungs.

"Y – You're making me do this!" Todd yelled, bringing an open palm to slap across her face.

When he loosened his grip to lean back on his knees, Sam began crying, crawling away from him.

"T – Todd, please…" She pleaded. Her hands shook as she tried to unlock her phone before she was finally able to dial Jason's number.

Todd took notice of what she was doing and widened his eyes in anger. Instantly, he stood up and stomped on her hand. Sam let out a yelp of pain before she watched Todd pick up the phone and bring it to his ear.

"Look at that. Your little boyfriend isn't even answering his phone. How unfortunate." Todd tossed her phone at the wall, seeing it shatter to pieces. "You know, I never wanted to hurt you, Sam. You just had to be snobby about the men you choose."

"It isn't being snobby, Todd… I'm not partially attracted to stalkers." Sam spat out, feeling him pick her up before she was slammed against the wall. She was sure that this was it. She was going to die at the hands of this maniac.

"I'm going to do what I always wanted to do and then I'm going to leave you here to suffer."

Sam looked down at him before he felt his hand move along her body, caressing her breasts. She instantly shook her head, trying to squirm away from him. He simply placed his forearm against her throat. All he had to do was put pressure and she would suffocate.

"Don't make this harder than it already is, beautiful."

"Todd, don't… Please."

"Oh, now you want to beg, don't you?" Todd chuckled, ripping her dress apart and watching it fall to the floor to pool around her ankles. " _Wow_. First, I thought that dress was a knockout but to see what you're wearing underneath is just as hot."

Sam continued to cry, feeling his body press against hers. When she felt his arousal touching her in the most intimate of places, she cried even harder. There was nothing she could do but hope for it to be over quickly.

Todd didn't even undress himself. All he did was pull himself from his pants.

It wasn't until he forced himself inside her that she was sure she would have passed out. Every grunt and thrust of his hips made her feel dirty and used. It hurt, but from the sounds of his moans and his occasional chuckle, Sam knew that _he_ was enjoying himself.

This lasted ten minutes until he tossed her to the ground. Sam flinched, her tears streaming down her face without any sign of stopping. When Todd resituated himself back into his pants, he leaned down and kissed her cheek, watching her flinch.

"Oh, don't be like that. What we had was fun." Todd smiled, caressing her tear-stained cheek.

Sam moved away, her body shaking. "Please leave…"

"Of course. Since you asked so nicely," he grinned. "Get your ass up and clean yourself. No one must know what happened here, okay?"

Sam just continued to cry. Todd shook his head, rolling his eyes before he slapped her across the cheek again.

"I'm talking to you. Fucking answer me."

"Y – Yes! Okay!" Sam stuttered. She kept her eyes shut, not wanting to look at him any longer.

Sam remained on the floor once he left, slamming the door shut with such a strong force that it was left slightly ajar. She cried herself to sleep that night, her body curled into a fetal position with her dress ripped and scattered beside her. She was left in her lingerie, but right now, she didn't want to get up.

Sam couldn't get up.

"Jason…" She cried, forcing herself to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Jason had visited Diane Lockhart. Last night with Sam got him thinking about what he truly wanted. Deep down, he knew he had feelings for Alicia, but he was also aware of the way he felt about Sam. The only thing different between both women were that one was single and the other was still married.

He had to know if Diane would still offer him a position with the company as a private investigator. It made him realize on the drive to the lawyer's office that Sam was the woman he wanted. He would have to talk with Alicia later, but right now, he wanted to make sure Diane would give him a job.

"Ah, Jason." The blonde-haired woman grinned, motioning him inside.

"That offer about being a permanent private investigator still available?" Jason asked, pocketing his hands.

"It is, yes. Are you reconsidering?"

"Possibly. I don't know yet. I've got a lot on my mind as of late."

"Well, the position is open for you if you want it. All I need is your word," Diane said.

"I'll give you an answer by the end of the week."

"Two days," she negotiated.

"You held this position open for two months. You can hold it open for another week."

Diane grinned, "All right. A week it is."

Jason left the law firm and decided to buy coffee and a chocolate chip muffin for Sam. When he dropped her off at her apartment last night, Jason couldn't help but wonder how the night would have ended if he allowed her to kiss him.

Instead, he spent the entire night thinking about her and thinking about Alicia. He had even purposefully missed Sam's phone call because he didn't want his thoughts to be altered by one woman. He was weighing the pros and cons with both women.

At the coffee shop, Jason ordered two vanilla lattes and two muffins. While waiting, he decided to call Sam to see what she was up to. He had to make sure she was home.

The call immediately went straight to voicemail which caused Jason to furrow a brow in confusion. "She must be on the phone with someone right now," he mumbled to himself. Jason waited a few more minutes before deciding to call again.

Once more, he was met with an immediate voicemail. No single ring.

"Jason!" The barista yelled. Jason sighed, thanking the man behind the counter. He took the tray of drinks and the brown bag of muffins into one hand before he decided to dial her number again.

Jason was back at his truck, setting the drinks and muffins aside before he adjusted his beanie. It was getting colder in Chicago and he loved it. Jason always loved the cold. With one last try, he dialed her number again.

Straight. To. Voicemail.

Jason assumed that her phone had died and she was sleeping in. Though, despite that thought, he didn't believe it for one second.

Instead, he decided to leave her a voicemail.

"Hey, Sam. I got you coffee and a muffin. I'm heading to your place right now. I'll see you soon."

After hanging up, Jason made his way to her apartment. When he made his choice, the first person he couldn't wait to tell was Sam because he knew she would be just as excited as he was. He was dreading the conversation with Alicia, though.

Jason pulled up to the curb of Sam's apartment complex. He climbed out of his car and grabbed the coffee and pastries before heading inside. He stepped into the elevator and clicked the designated floor. He smiled to himself. Maybe he would finally know what her lips would feel like.

At the sound of the _ding_ , Jason stepped out of the elevator and began walking to her apartment. Though, when he noticed the door slightly open, Jason instantly had a bad feeling. Slowly pushing the door open, he noticed Sam lying on the floor in a fetal position in nothing but her undergarments.

Jason immediately dropped the muffins to the ground and the coffee, instantly making a mess.

"Sam!" He exclaimed, kneeling down beside her and turning her onto her back. He removed his beanie to toss aside before removing his coat to wrap around her cold body.

"Sam, wake up…" He said.

Jason took notice of the bruises around her neck that seemed like someone was choking her. He noticed the dried blood at her nose and the puffiness in her cheeks. He needed to know what happened last night.

He glanced around the living room, noticing her shattered phone on the ground and her ripped dress lying nearby. She was breathing, but Jason knew that she was struggling.

"Just hold on, okay? I'm going to get you some help," Jason said. He dialed 911 and held her in his arms, trying to warm her up. He immediately felt guilty about missing her phone call last night. It made him wonder if the reason why she called was because she needed help.

"I'm so sorry… I should have answered the damn call. Fuck, Sam… Just wake up. Give me some sign that you're okay…"

"D – Don't blame yourself," she muttered out. Jason sighed, leaning down to kiss her forehead before he felt her flinch away and a new set of fresh tears stung her eyes.

"Who did this? Sam?"

"T – Todd…"

Within five minutes, the paramedics walked in and helped Sam onto a stretcher. Jason stood up, clad in a black button down and black jeans. He watched as the paramedics held open his coat from around her body to inspect her injuries.

Jason was angry, but right now, he had to make sure Sam was okay.

"Sir? Do you know what happened here?" The paramedic asked, bringing her downstairs and into the back of the ambulance. Jason immediately hopped in. He sat next to her and held her hand as the medic attached her to an oxygen mask and an IV for pain relief.

"I – I don't know. I was going to stop by to see her and I saw her like this. The door was open a bit when I arrived. I don't know…" Jason lied. He knew exactly what happened and the thought alone made him angry.

"Well, from the looks of it… It seems as if she was sexually assaulted. We're going to have the doctors do further testing to make sure there isn't any internal damage. She's also going to have to undergo a post-rape physical examination."

Jason turned his hands into fists and nodded. Sam was sleeping and he reached over to gently touch her hand. He couldn't even cry due to the amount of anger he was feeling at the moment. All he wanted to do was get his hands on Todd and make him feel the same amount of pain Sam felt and _will_ be feeling.

Once at the hospital, Jason wasn't allowed past the double doors that the paramedics wheeled Sam into. They guaranteed she would be in good hands, but he was worried. She needed to see a familiar face just in case she woke up.

Jason decided that while he was waiting, he was going to talk to Alicia and Lucca.

"Hey, Jason." Alicia answered.

"She's in the hospital. Todd went against his damn restraining order and forced himself into her home last night."

"W – What?" Alicia asked.

"You heard me, Alicia. Is Lucca there?"

"I'm here, Jason. Is Sam okay?"

"No! She's not okay! She has bruises on her neck. Puffy cheeks. A bloody nose. She is not okay!"

"Jason, calm down," Alicia said calmly.

"I'm not going to calm down, Alicia! We pushed him! Todd did this. We have put lesser violent criminals in jail but we couldn't put this piece of shit where he belongs?!"

"You know it's more complicated than that, Jason," Alicia replied.

"Do not talk to me like I do not understand, Alicia. I was a lawyer."

"Exactly. You _were_. You aren't anymore. Your profession is to privately investigate. That is what you do. You let Lucca and I handle the judicial system," she replied.

"You told that to Sam and look where she ended up," Jason said.

"When the doctors are finished with her exam, it will be enough evidence to put Todd away for a long time," Lucca reasoned.

"I don't care. It has gone past that. He forced himself into her home and raped her! You both are talking to me like it was bound to happen!" Jason yelled, looking up at the sky.

"It was just a matter of time, Jason," Alicia said.

Jason tightened his jaw. His mind was now made up and the woman he wanted had just been raped, but he wanted nothing more than to hold her and tell her everything would be okay. He wasn't going to leave her side.

"That's low, Alicia. She was just raped and all you have to say is that it was a matter of time? It wouldn't have been if you and Lucca would do your damn job. I'm going to pay Todd a little visit," Jason replied, hanging up without allowing either lawyer to reply.

When Jason walked back into the hospital, he noticed a doctor looking around the waiting room. He slowly walked up to him, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Any word on Sam?" Jason asked.

"Ah, the rape victim? She's asking for a Jason Crouse. She won't calm down after we conducted all the tests."

"T – That's me… Can you take me to see her?"

The doctor nodded, leading him down the hall. Jason hesitated before stepping into her room. She was crying, rubbing her eyes continuously. She kept her eyes focused on the wall, not bothering to look at Jason or the doctor when they walked in.

"Samantha… You've got a visitor."

"I want to talk to Jason Crouse." She hiccupped, shutting her eyes.

"Good thing I'm here, huh?" Jason said, walking towards her bed and sitting at the chair nearby. He took her hand and watched her flinch before she relaxed.

"Jason…"

He took notice of her sad-filled eyes and he instantly stood up to wrap his arms around her. Jason allowed her to cry against him and he couldn't help but smile when he noticed that she was still wearing his coat.

"I'm right here, Sam… I'm right here with _you_ …"

Sam cried herself to sleep and when the doctor walked in, he breathed a sigh of relief. He noticed that Jason was sitting at the chair, occasionally looking up at Sam before he would turn his gaze back to the newspaper in his hands.

"We've got some DNA evidence. Would you like for us to turn it in to the police?" The doctor asked quietly while he was checking Sam's vitals.

"Oh, yes, please. Send it to an Alicia Florrick and Lucca Quinn. It's just what they need to arrest this guy and put him into jail."

"I'll get right on that. Thank you for calming her down enough to get some rest."

Jason shrugged, looking up to see Sam still asleep. "Didn't do much."

"I don't see these cases often, but when I do, there's always that one person in their life that they're comfortable enough with to break down with and succumb to what's happened. I'm glad she's got you for that."

"I wasn't able to protect her," Jason admitted, guilt clear in his tone. "She called me and I just ignored it. I could have – She was probably calling me for help…"

The doctor sighed, gently clasping a hand over Jason's shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up. She's already doing that enough for the both of you."

When the doctor left, Jason set the newspaper down onto his lap and watched her sleep for a few minutes. It was then that she looked peaceful and when he rested a hand on her own, he saw her lips turn into a small smile.

With a sigh, Jason kept his hand on hers and used his other hand to flip the newspaper. He needed to calm down, to keep his anger at bay despite how badly he wanted to leave and make Todd pay for what he did.

Sam needed him and he wasn't going to leave.

After a couple of hours, Jason finally heard her voice. He looked up to see her eyes glistening with unfallen tears.

"Reading up on Mars? Any news?" She teased.

Jason smiled sadly. He had to wonder how she could be in such a light mood after what happened. Though, when he noticed that she was about to break down again, he set his newspaper down onto the chair and lied down next to her.

Sam didn't flinch, leaning against him once he cradled her against him. She felt comfortable, but at the same time, she was afraid to look up and see Todd.

"What happened, Sam?"

"H – He was watching us the entire night, Jason. Todd came into my apartment just a few minutes after you left and he… He –"

Jason shook his head. "Don't finish that. I can piece it together."

Sam buried her face against the crook of his neck, holding onto him tightly. Right now, she needed him.

"You called me last night… Was it because –"

"I'm not going to answer that," she whispered, wiping her eyes.

Jason sighed, "I'll take that as a yes. I'm so fucking sorry, Sam."

"It isn't your fault, so please… Stop…"

Jason immediately shut up and gently cupped her cheek. Sam looked up at him hesitantly, sighing in relief when she was staring into his warm, welcoming eyes.

"I've been thinking about what you said last night... You or Alicia… I even brought you coffee and a muffin this morning and I – You were lying on your floor and fuck," he mumbled, feeling himself get emotional at the reminder of what he had to walk in to see at her apartment.

"Jason, stop…" Sam said, shaking her head. "Don't blame yourself, please…"

"I can't help it. You called me for help and I ignored it because I was thinking of you and I was thinking of _her_! I was being selfish."

"Jason, please…" She cried, beginning to pull away from him.

"Okay, okay… Don't push me away…" Jason said, pulling her gently back against him. When she didn't pull away, he sighed in relief.

"Thanks for being here," she whispered once her cries had finally died down.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else but here," he admitted.

"You mean that?" Sam looked up at him.

"I do…"

She nodded, staring up at him and feeling his hand against her cheek. Sam flinched before telling herself that it was okay, it was just Jason.

"I'm going to kiss you. Not today. Not tomorrow, but when you're ready." Jason said, brushing his thumb gently across the bruise along her cheek.

"But you're with –"

"Not anymore."

Sam nodded, resting her cheek back against him. She looked down at herself and noticed his black coat. She shut her eyes and tried to find sleep, but only when she started to drift that Alicia and Lucca stepped into the room.

Both women looked at Jason who was cuddling with Sam. Alicia felt jealous settle at the pit of her stomach, but right now, she needed to remain professional.

"Alicia…" Jason said.

"Jason."


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:** IT HAPPENED GUYS. IT HAPPENED. I was going to hold it off for a few more chapters, but I couldn't take it. They needed this. Enjoy! ;)

* * *

There was an uncomfortable silence that filled the space of Sam's hospital room. She squeezed Jason before gently pushing him off her bed. Alicia and Lucca stared at the two with slightly arched brows, but Sam wanted nothing more than to just grieve alone.

"Sam…"

"The First Lady looks angry," she whispered, nodding towards Jason. "It's okay. You don't have to lie down next to me. I'm fine."

Jason sighed. On any other given day, he would have laughed at her joke, but not today. He reluctantly climbed off her bed and decided to sit at the chair instead. He decided against holding her hand, glancing over his shoulder at Alicia who was staring directly at him.

"Right. So, we'll need a statement from you. We already got the DNA results from – from what happened. We have more than enough to put Todd in jail, but we're going to need a statement to seal the deal," Lucca said, her eyes softening.

"I – He came into my apartment. I tried to leave. I tried to run and he kept saying that he didn't want to do this… He –" Sam shut her eyes, feeling her breath catch in her throat at the memory. She wiped the fallen tears aside and took a deep breath. She needed to do this.

"He forced himself onto me… I begged for him to stop, but he wouldn't listen and –" Sam shook her head. She flinched when Lucca offered a gentle gesture by placing his hand atop of Sam's.

"We heard enough. That'll be just fine," Lucca said.

Alicia interrupted, "Were you out last night?"

"Alicia –" Jason said, glancing up at the other woman.

"What? It's a reasonable question."

Sam nodded, keeping her eyes away from the three people that were staring at her. She wanted to leave more than ever now. She wanted to leave and never look back.

"Yes, I was out. Todd mentioned that he was watching me…"

"Were you with anyone?" Alicia asked.

"Yes, I was… I don't understand how this relates to –"

"Were you and this person getting close? You may have triggered Todd," she interrupted.

Sam looked at the other woman and bit her quivering lower lip. How could have this been her fault?

"Alicia, that is enough!" Jason yelled, standing from the chair.

"Please, leave… All of you," Sam whispered, turning to lie on her side as her back faced them.

"Samantha, I'm sorry –" Alicia began.

"Get out, please…"

Alicia was the first to leave the hospital room. Lucca sighed, walking over to Sam's hospital bed. She gently rested a hand on her shoulder, watching as Sam flinched. Lucca didn't expect the case to get this far, but she just hoped that they were now able to catch Todd and put him to jail.

When Lucca left and Sam heard the door shut, she lifted her head only to be met with Jason still in her room. He was standing with his hands in his pockets and a frown upon his lips.

"When I said all of you, Jason, that included you too," she mumbled.

"What Alicia said was uncalled for and I'm sorry. I'm sorry I put you in this position –"

"Can you please stop apologizing?"

"No because I put you in an awkward position between myself and Alicia. I didn't intend on them walking in with my arms around you, okay?" Jason sighed. He remained standing, but he couldn't help the sudden need to hold her again.

"Hey, it could simply be a friend comforting another. What you said earlier… Did you mean it? You aren't with Alicia anymore?" Sam asked hesitantly.

"I haven't talked to her yet, if that's what you're asking. But I made up my mind, okay? You're who I want."

"I can't compete with her, Jason. She's a successful lawyer. I'm a freelance writer who has a tough time writing articles that are interesting. She's got a nice apartment. I've got a boring one. She can offer you so much more than I can…

"She's strong… I'm _weak_ ," Sam finished, her lower lip trembling.

"Are you listening to yourself right now, Sam?"

"Jason, I think you should go, okay? I'll be fine. I'll be okay."

"No, you won't be. _I_ won't be. Why do you think you know what's best for me and what isn't? Why do you assume that Alicia will be better for me than you?"

"Jason –"

"Talk to me, Sam. What makes you think that Alicia and I –"

"I am **broken** , Jason! H – He broke me and…" Sam let out a quiet sob, staring at him with teary eyes.

Jason instantly walked over to her, sitting at the edge of her bed. When she flinched, Jason sighed. "It's just me, _Samantha_ … I'm not going to hurt you."

Sam leaned against him, crying against the crook of his neck. Jason had moved to lie next to her, cradling her against him. He tightened his arms around her frame when he began to feel her tremble against him. It broke his heart. She didn't deserve this.

"I don't want you taking care of me," Sam admitted quietly.

"It's a bit too late for that, don't you think?"

She shook her head, pulling away from him and gently pushing him away. "Please go…"

"Sam…"

"It's what I want, okay? This is what I want..."

"No, it's not."

"Jason, _please_ …"

With a shaky breath, Jason stood from the hospital bed and looked down at her. He wondered if she meant to leave just for right now or permanently. He needed to talk to Lucca since she always gave him great advice, but first, he had to speak with Alicia.

"You know my number, okay?" Jason said quietly.

Sam didn't respond. She simply turned her back to him and quietly began to cry. Jason wanted to snuggle behind her and hold her until she finished crying, but for now, he had to respect her space and her wishes.

* * *

Jason knocked on Alicia's door, his mind drifting to Sam. When the door opened, he looked down at Alicia and took note of the drink in her hand. She had removed her heels so the height difference was more noticeable now.

"We need to talk," he said, walking inside.

"No, we don't, Jason."

"Yes, we do, Alicia."

Alicia walked to her kitchen, pouring herself another glass of alcohol. Jason remained on the other side of the island, keeping his distance. There was no denying the attraction he felt for Alicia, but he didn't expect to gain feelings for another woman who he could see himself with.

"You're with Sam. That's great. Congratulations to the both of you."

"We're not together," Jason corrected.

"Sure seems like it back at the hospital."

"What do you want me to tell you, Alicia? You're still with Peter."

"Oh, do not pull that card on me, Jason. If you want to end whatever we have going on, then do it already. We already established that what we had was simply sexual. That's all, right?"

Jason sighed, "I wanted you, Alicia. I didn't want to sneak around. I didn't want to hide whatever we had, but then Sam showed up and I didn't expect myself to…"

"To what, Jason?"

"I didn't expect myself to look at a woman and see a stable future. I saw that with you, but at the same time, I knew I couldn't. You would always choose Peter. Then I met Sam and everything started to fall into place, Alicia," he admitted.

"You were my friend before we started this relationship. If she makes you happy, I'm not going to deny you of that."

"I'm sorry, Alicia," Jason said quietly.

"Why? For finally finding someone you want to settle down with?"

"For hurting you…"

"Jason, come on. I'll be fine. Sam's one lucky woman. She's going to need you, and I'm still so sorry for what I said earlier. I didn't mean it. I just – I saw you with her and I didn't know what to make of it."

Jason nodded, dropping his eyes to the marble top of her counter. Slowly, he walked around it and wrapped his arms around Alicia. He knew he would have been able to fall in love with Alicia, but Sam was the woman that changed his mind entirely.

"Jason…" Alicia mumbled.

"Shh, just let me hug you, okay?" Jason whispered, kissing her temple before he decided to pull away.

"We're suing Todd for rape and for going against his restraining order. We've got an order for his arrest. So, hopefully by tomorrow, we'll be having a delightful talk with his lawyer. Until then, spend the time with Sam. She's going to need you, Jason." Alicia nodded to herself, pulling away from him.

"I'll relay the message to her," Jason mumbled. He bit his lower lip and glanced over at her before he nodded in her direction. He walked towards the front door and slowly opened it. He didn't know why he felt slightly sad for ending his relationship with Alicia. Jason just hoped that Sam would give him a chance now that he was available.

* * *

"I have pizza," Jason knocked on her door, setting the box onto the table nearby. Sam briefly looked up to see him, biting her lower lip.

"W – What are you doing here?"

"I brought you dinner."

"Jason…"

"It's my turn to talk, okay?" He walked to her bedside, sitting at the edge of it. He took her hand and gently ran his thumb over her knuckles.

"My relationship with Alicia started out with just sex. We agreed that we would use each other just for sex, that's it. Then things started to progress. We wanted more of each other. I could see myself falling in love with her. I knew how dangerous it was, especially since she's still married to Peter.

"Then one day, I saw a woman sitting at Alicia's office for a consultation about a potential case. I saw the innocence and purity in her features. Later that night, I got to know her better at the coffee shop that she had spent every night at. I noticed how kind she was, how hardworking she was.

"You changed my entire outlook on life and I didn't even realize it until last night. I look at you and I see someone I can settle down with. You told me to leave, and I did. But I'm back now and I'm not leaving again."

Jason shut his eyes, bringing her hand to his lips and placing a gentle kiss on the back of it. He took a leap of faith in admitting his feelings and he hoped that Sam wouldn't push him away.

Sam wasn't expecting him to come back and spill his feelings out to her. She knew that last night at the bar, their friendship was changing. It was proof when their lips were inches from each other. She didn't realize that she was falling in love with him too.

"Jason… I can't do this to you. I flinch whenever someone touches me. I shut my eyes and I see _his_ face. I don't even want to look in the mirror to see what other bruises I have and I can't –"

"It's just me, okay?" Jason reassured, his hand coming to her cheek in a slow motion. When she didn't flinch, he let a small smile line his lips. "I'm going to kiss you now, all right? Will that be okay?"

Sam stared into his eyes, bringing her hand up to his face to slowly remove his glasses. When she noticed the natural twinkle in his orbs and the sincerity that lied beneath them, she nodded.

"Kiss me, Jason…"

He smiled, leaning down and pressing his lips to hers. Jason didn't know what to expect now that their lips met, but he wasn't expecting to see fireworks when his eyes had fallen shut. He felt like he could kiss her forever, like he was meant to kiss her.

Sam melted into the kiss, bringing her hand to cup his cheek as well. She let her fingertips brush against the scruff along his face, reveling in his soft lips. She hated that she was thinking about the way Todd was so rough with her, but she allowed herself to relax. Jason wasn't going to hurt her.

After a few moments, Jason pulled back to look down at her. He couldn't help the boyish smile that lined his lips.

"We're going to take this slow, okay? However long it takes… I'm willing to wait," Jason whispered.

Sam smiled, leaning up to peck his lips. "And just so we're clear… I see myself settling down with you too, Jason."


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:** We're on the final stretch guys! We've got a one more chapter left of this story, so stay tuned!

* * *

"I'll be just right outside, okay?" Jason said, looking down at Sam. She was released from the hospital just yesterday and now, she had to face Todd.

The start of their relationship began in the hospital, but Jason didn't mind. He knew that she only felt safe around him and he wanted to keep it that way. There had been times during her hospital stay where she would wake up in tears and Jason did his best to calm her down.

"You can't come inside with us?" Sam asked, resting her forehead against Jason's chest. His strong arms were wrapped around her, keeping her safe and protected.

"I can't, no. But just look outside and I'll be right there, okay? Alicia said all you'll do is make a statement and then you can leave the room."

"W – What if I can't do it, Jason?"

"You can." He reassured her, his hand gently cupping her cheek. "You can and you will because Todd will know that he didn't break you. You're stronger than you think, Sam."

"I can't, Jason. H – He's going to be right there. I can't do it." Sam shut her eyes tightly, feeling the tears sting her eyes once more.

She only found comfort when Jason was near. It seemed as if his presence chased the unwanted memories away from her mind.

"Don't go, please…" Sam begged.

Jason sighed, looking into her eyes. When he caught sight of a fallen tear, he slowly wiped it away with the pad of his thumb.

"I can't be in there, Sam."

Before Sam could reply, she noticed Alicia and Lucca nod in their direction. They stepped into the conference room and sat down, removing the necessary files and photos from their folders and setting it on the table.

"Jason…"

"Don't look at him. Keep your eyes down on your lap, okay? You'll just give your statement then you can leave. We can go and grab pizza. Maybe go to the planetarium," he said.

"O – Okay…"

Jason sighed quietly, holding her tightly and kissing her cheek. His lips rested just at her ear before whispering, "No one is going to ever hurt you again… I promise."

Sam pulled up back and looked into his eyes. Since their first kiss, she wanted more but she knew she wasn't ready. She couldn't even think about him sexually without the thought of Todd entering her mind.

"You better get going," Jason mumbled.

Sam leaned up to peck his lips, gently running her fingertips along his beard before pulling away. Without his arms wrapped around her, she felt vulnerable and weak. Jason was the pillar in her life, holding her up and keeping her safe from all the dangers in the world.

With a heavy sigh, Sam stepped into the conference room and sat between Lucca and Alicia. She kept her eyes downcast, her hands on her lap as she laced them together.

"Do you remember what we went through, Sam?" Alicia asked.

"Y – Yeah. Talk about that particular night and that's it."

"Exactly. Once that is over with, Jason will take you from this room," Lucca added.

Alicia shifted uncomfortably. Though, she tried not to let her personal life interlace with her work. She had a job to do and that was to give Sam the justice she seeked.

Slowly, Sam heard the door open. She glanced up and immediately noticed a man in a suit that she assumed to be Todd's lawyer. She then saw Todd in handcuffs with a police officer following closely behind.

"Samantha!" He grinned, sitting down across the table.

Sam cleared her throat, feeling tears cloud her eyes at the sound of his voice. She didn't want to look up. Instead, she turned her head to look out the door to see Jason standing right there, just like he promised.

She felt herself relax before turning her attention back to her lap.

"Can you please tell your client not to speak to mine unless he wants to be taken out of this room?" Alicia said, tightening her jaw.

The other lawyer motioned for Todd to remain quiet.

"All we're doing is getting a statement from Samantha and then she'll be on her way," Lucca said.

Todd sighed, "You look pretty today, Sam."

"I'm not warning you a second time, Todd. Shut your mouth or I will do it for you," Alicia quipped.

Sam glanced over at her and nodded her thanks.

"Go ahead, Sam," Lucca said.

With a heavy sigh, Sam shut her eyes. Her lower lip began to quiver.

"I – I was coming home that night after a few drinks with a friend –"

"You mean your fucking boyfriend?" Todd interrupted.

"Todd, if you do not –" His lawyer began before Sam looked up at Todd.

Tears were streaming down her face, but instead of fear, she felt anger.

"Yeah, my fucking _boyfriend_. After coming home that night, you were there. You broke into my apartment. You – You put your hands on me! You forced yourself onto me! I told you to stop, Todd! I told you to leave, but you didn't!" Sam yelled, looking directly at him.

"You felt amazing though," Todd smirked.

Sam tightened her jaw and grabbed one of the glasses of water and throwing it across the table. The water splashed over Todd's face following the broken glass that cut his face.

"What the fuck!" Todd exclaimed, standing up before the police officer pushed him back down to the chair.

"You raped me, Todd! You r – raped me!" Sam's tears were flowing freely down her cheeks as her body shook with anger.

Alicia looked over at Sam with widened eyes before motioning for Jason to step inside. In an instant, Jason ran into the conference room and gently placed a hand on Sam's back. She flinched, but when she looked over her shoulder to see Jason, she turned around and wrapped her arms around him.

"You're okay… I'm here," he whispered.

"I'll come back for you, Samantha," Todd threatened.

Jason tightened his jaw, "If you know what's good for you, you'd shut your mouth. Alicia, put this fucking guy in jail."

Without another word, Jason led Sam out of the room and slammed the door. He watched as Todd kept his eyes solely on him and Sam before Lucca stood to shut the blinds.

Alicia cleared her throat, tossing a napkin towards Todd to stop the bleeding from his cuts.

"You have been stalking Samantha for months now. We put a restraining order on you and you still didn't get the hint. As a result, you barged into my client's home and raped her. You have no alibi. You have nothing to go on," Alicia argued.

The other lawyer sighed. He knew it was a losing battle, especially after Todd spoke when he was told not to.

"We'll settle with the plea deal," the lawyer said.

Alicia nodded, "Perfect. Rot in jail, Mr. Evans."

Todd looked up at Alicia and tightened his jaw. "You can't keep me from Samantha for long," he threatened.

"Keep talking and we'll add a few more years to your sentence," Lucca replied, gathering her things.

Todd bit his lower lip, opting to remain quiet. He looked over at his own lawyer and rolled his eyes, "Fucking pathetic."

His lawyer just scoffed, standing up and motioning for the police officer to take Todd away.

"I'm not the one that's going to jail for twenty-five years."

"T – twenty five?!" Todd yelled.

"Don't drop the soap."

* * *

Jason allowed Sam to sit at his chair in his office. He sat across from her and gently rested his hands on her legs, pulling her close to him. She was crying against his shoulder, her body shaking with each quiet sob that escaped her lips.

He wanted nothing more than to make Todd suffer in pain in the way he made Sam felt, but he couldn't. Sam was his main priority and he needed to comfort her.

"Sam?" He whispered.

"I don't want to talk about it," she hiccupped.

"What you did back there was badass," Jason smiled, kissing her cheek.

Sam lifted her head and wiped her tears, looking into his eyes.

"I called you my boyfriend… I'm sorry."

Jason smiled, "That's okay. I'm more than fine with it."

"Can I be honest with you?" She asked hesitantly.

"Of course."

"I'm thinking of relocating, Jason… I just – I think it's time to move."

Jason cleared his throat. He didn't expect those words to leave her lips. Though, he knew just how she felt.

"But –"

"And I can't do this to you. This is your job. I see the people relying on you, Jason."

"You said you could see yourself spending the rest of your life with me…"

"I can, but I'd be selfish to take you away from here," Sam bit her lower lip.

Jason tightened his jaw. He stood up from his chair and nodded, pocketing his hand into his jeans before glancing over his shoulder at the quiet knock on the door. When he saw Alicia, he sighed. What else could go wrong in his life?

"Can I talk to Sam?" She asked.

Jason nodded, leaving the room. Sam watched him walk away before wiping the tears completely.

"You okay?" Alicia asked.

Sam nodded, "I'm okay as can be. Thank you for this, Alicia."

"I want to talk to you about Jason."

"I'm moving," Sam blurted.

"You're moving? Is he going with you?"

"I don't think so. I wouldn't want him to. He has a life here. He has people that need him here," Sam shrugged.

"Be honest. Do you want him to go with you?" Alicia asked.

"I – Of course I do, but I'm not going to ask him to leave with me if that's what you're asking."

"I should be upset with you, frustrated with him, but for some reason, I can't bring myself to feel that way. Jason is a man who doesn't like to be tied down, but when he talked to me about breaking it off with me, I noticed something I had never seen before.

"He wanted _you_. Now and forever. He didn't say it, but I know… I know that he fell in love with you," Alicia admitted.

Sam didn't know what to say. Sure, they had talked about spending the rest of their lives with each other, but actually hearing the word 'love' made her heart skip a beat.

"And you fell in love with him too," she pointed out.

"He has people who needs him here, Alicia."

"That may be so, but there's only one person that he is willing to drop everything for."

Sam nodded, looking over at the door. "I better get going."

Alicia sighed, standing with her and walking her to the door. "Think about it, okay? Just – Don't make any sudden decisions."

"Thank you, Alicia."

Sam walked down the hall and towards the elevators. She glanced around with Jason nowhere to be seen. She sighed and stepped inside once the doors open. She clicked the first-floor button, watching as the doors slowly shut before hearing his voice and seeing his arm stick through the small open space of elevator for the sensor to keep it open.

"Wait up," he called out.

Jason slid into the elevator and looked over at her. Sam bit her lower lip and glanced up at the numbers; they had twenty-seven more floors to go.

"Don't go, okay? There's something here between you and I and I don't want to make the mistake of letting you go," Jason admitted.

Sam turned to him, looking into his eyes. "If the roles were reversed, Jason, would you stay if I asked you to?"

He didn't respond. Sam sighed, nodding.

"All right then. There's my answer. Thank you for that."

"Listen to me, Sam."

He looked over at the numbers before pressing the stop button on the elevator. She felt the elevator stop abruptly before pressing a hand to the rail to steady herself.

Sam looked up at him before deciding to drop her eyes to the ground. Jason took a step forward and hooked a finger under her chin, kissing her forehead before staring into her eyes.

"There's something special here," he whispered.

"I can't stay here with the thought of Todd looming at the back of my mind. I can't ask you to come with me because that'll be selfish of me, Jason," she sighed in defeat.

"I want you. I want you now. I want you fifty years from now. I just – I can't let you go," he replied.

Sam sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck. She buried her face against him and shut her eyes, reveling in his arms snaking around her waist to pull her closer to him.

"Don't go," he whispered.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:** This was bittersweet to write! Simply because I didn't want it to end, but I'm sure more ideas will come to mind because there can never be too many Jason Crouse fics ;). Thank you to everyone who enjoyed this story! It means so much to me that all of you liked it!

Warning: SMUT! (finally hehe)

* * *

It had been a week since Sam had to face Todd. It also had been a week since she told Jason that she was thinking about moving. She wasn't expecting Jason to act the way he did, but deep down, she was glad. It proved to her that the things he said about committing to her was the truth.

Jason continued to ask her to stay; he still didn't know what she decided and that scared him.

He finally decided to go to her apartment after giving Sam the space he was sure she needed. Jason contemplated on either knocking or calling her, so he decided to with the latter. He walked towards the elevator so that she wouldn't hear his voice from the other side of the door.

After a few rings, he heard her voice and instantly smiled.

"Jason, hi," Sam said, placing a few books into a box.

"Hey. I was wondering…"

"Yes…?"

"Come to dinner with me," Jason said.

"I'm packing…"

His heart dropped. Jason didn't know what to say. He expected her to decide to stay… With _him_.

Jason hung up and pocketed his phone before walking to her door and knocking on it. He was going to make her tell him face-to-face.

Sam furrowed a brow and slowly walked to the door, dressed in leggings and an oversized sweater with her hair tied into a messy ponytail.

Opening the door, she noticed Jason standing on the other side with his usual black jacket, black button down shirt and black pants with his boots.

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked, biting her lower lip.

Jason sighed, stepping into her apartment. He glanced around and noticed a few boxes stacked in the corner. When he turned his attention on her, the look of hurt flashed through his eyes.

"That's it? You weren't even going to tell me?" He asked.

"I didn't – Jason…"

"You didn't what? Did you think you were just going to tell me one day that you were going to leave and that was it? You said you imagined yourself with me long-term, Sam. Or was that bullshit?"

"I can't stay here, Jason. I can't even sleep in my own bed because I'm _afraid_ someone will barge in here! I don't want to stay somewhere that will bring unwanted memories… I thought Chicago could be a permanent home for me, but like I said, I never did like to stay in one place for too long. Just like _you_ …"

Jason sighed, taking a step forward. He reached a hand out and gently took Sam's hand into his own. He let his fingertips brush against her knuckles before pulling her to his chest. His free hand moved to cup her cheek as he stared into her eyes.

"Sam, I fell – I fell in love with you, okay?" He whispered.

She shut her eyes, resting her forehead against his chest as his hand moved from her cheek to the back of her head, gently brushing his thumb against the strands of her hair.

Jason leaned down to press his lips at the crown of her head, his hand dropping from hers to wrap an arm around her waist.

"I don't want to leave, but I can't stay…" She whispered.

Jason sighed, both arms tightening around her frame.

"Come to dinner with me?" He asked.

Sam nodded, looking up at him. She stood on her toes to peck his lips, pulling back with a slight linger. "I fell in love with you too, Jason…"

Sam pulled away and began walking to her bedroom. Jason smiled to himself and walked after her, gently taking her hand.

"You don't need to change. You look fine," he said, lacing their fingers together.

"I do not! I need to take a shower, Jason."

He playfully rolled his eyes, dropping her hand. "Fine, fine."

Just as Sam was beginning to walk away, Jason tugged on her hand and pulled her back to him. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, smiling instantly to himself at the feel of her lips. Slowly, he moved his free hand to her hip and gently pushed her against the wall when he heard a quiet whimper escape her lips.

Sam melted into him, moving her lips in time with his. When she felt her back hit the wall softly, her hands instantly moved to his shoulders. She darted her tongue out to flick against his upper lip, feeling his lower half push against hers.

She gently pushed him away, looking up at him with a lustful look in her eyes.

"I have to take a shower," Sam repeated.

Jason smirked, licking his lips. He flashed her his dimpled grin and nodded, running his hand down her back to graze her backside before stepping away from her.

"Okay. I'll be in the living room."

Sam nodded, walking quickly to her bathroom that was connected to her bedroom. She couldn't help but think back to the feeling of his member pressed against her. She knew she couldn't take a long shower, so instead, she quickly lathered her hair and body with the needed soap and shampoo.

After fifteen minutes, she was out of the bathroom and dressed in denim jeans, a loose flannel tucked in the front with a jacket over it. She slipped on her ankle boots and walked out of her bedroom. She walked to the living room and noticed Jason leaning back against the couch.

Sam smiled to herself. Suddenly, she had a vision of what it would be like if she and Jason were to move in together. She would sneak up behind him and let her hands run over his shoulders to gently massage the tense muscles away.

With a quiet sigh, she walked towards him and placed her hands on his shoulders. She gently squeezed them and heard a quite grunt escape his lips.

"Mm, that feels good," he mumbled, dropping his head and succumbing to her soothing movements.

"You're tense…"

"I've got a lot to stress out about," he replied.

Sam sighed, leaning down and kissing his cheek. She pulled away and walked around the couch to sit next to him. His arm instantly wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her close to his side.

Jason looked down at her and sighed, kissing her temple. "Let's get dinner."

Sam nodded, allowing him to stand up before she followed him. She instantly took his hand and led him out of her apartment. She turned around to lock her door before Jason's arms wrapped around her waist.

"You're being very touchy today," she said.

"That's because I found out you're leaving," he replied.

Sam sighed, glancing over her shoulder to kiss his cheek.

* * *

Sam sat across from him at the booth of a small diner. It was the same diner that they had gone to for their first unofficial date.

"What did you want to get?" Jason asked.

"Pie. I really want some pie and ice cream," Sam smiled, looking up at him.

"I bring you out for dinner and you ask for pie. You're weird," he teased.

Sam stuck her tongue out at him, rolling her eyes playfully. "Then don't try and get some of my pie or ice cream."

"Oh, and now you won't share? That's cruel, Sam."

"Says the one who's calling me names."

Jason laughed quietly, standing up to sit next to her. His arm draped at the back of the booth before looking up at the waiter when he walked to their table.

"Can I get two slices of apple pie with vanilla ice cream, please?" Jason asked.

Sam looked over at him, snuggling closer to his side now that he was sitting next to her.

"Of course, sir." The waiter said, taking their menus and leaving their table to give their order to the kitchen crew.

Jason looked down at Sam and smiled, pecking her lips.

"Weirdo," she mumbled.

Jason arched a brow, dropping his arm from the booth to wrap around her waist, pulling her closer. "Take it back," he threatened playfully.

"Or what?"

"You wouldn't want to find out," Jason teased, laughing quietly to himself as he leaned in to gently brush his beard against the crook of her neck.

Sam gasped quietly, moving a hand to his leg and squeezing it gently.

"Jason…"

He pulled back and looked down at her, smiling to himself. "Just wanted to show you what else you'll be missing if you leave."

"I'm not going to change my mind… You know that, right?" Sam said hesitantly.

Jason nodded, moving his free hand to let it rest above hers at his leg.

"Then I have to show you what else you'll be missing," he replied instantly.

"And what's that?"

Jason arched a brow, slowly leaning forward to kiss along her neck before his lips hovered at her ear.

"You'll find out when we get back to your place… Just as long as you're okay with it."

Sam shivered, pulling back to look up at him. She knew immediately what he was implying and she would be lying if he said she wasn't looking forward to it.

Before she could reply, the waiter interrupted to set one large plate onto the table with two slices of pie and three scoops of vanilla ice cream.

Sam looked up at the teenage boy and offered a polite smile before reaching for the spoon. She lifted it for Jason to see before handing him one. She took a scoop of ice cream with a small piece of apple pie and brought it to her lips.

Instantly, she quietly groaned at the taste.

"Okay, that is _delicious_ ," she smiled.

Jason chuckled, taking his own bite and smiling instantly. "Yeah, you're right. I take back my name calling."

"I accept that as an apology," she teased.

Throughout their dessert, Jason found himself watching her. He noticed the way she would scrunch her nose whenever she laughed or when she blushed, she tended to bite her lower lip. He was noticing every little detail about her; he didn't know how he was going to let her go when she had her mind set on leaving.

"Why do you keep staring at me?" Sam asked, wiping her lips once she finished her pie and ice cream.

"Why? I can't stare at a beautiful woman?"

She blushed, dropping her eyes and biting her lower lip.

Jason grinned.

"You're not helping. You just become even cuter when you do that, Sam."

She looked up at him, smiling shyly.

"Well, stop making me blush."

"I can't help it. I love it when you bite your lower lip like you're embarrassed. It's adorable."

Sam laughed quietly, burying her face against his side. She sighed to herself, shutting her eyes afterwards as she inhaled his intoxicating scent. She felt Jason rest his head at the crown of her own and held her close.

This almost felt like it was a goodbye.

"Want to head back?" Sam asked.

Jason looked down at her and nodded, "Sure. Do you want to walk?"

"It's a beautiful night. Yeah. Let's walk halfway."

Jason led her out of the diner after paying for their meal. His hand instantly took Sam's, lacing their fingers without hesitation. Sam smiled to herself, leaning against him as they began walking down the sidewalk in the direction of her apartment.

"What do I have to do to make you stay?" Jason asked.

Sam looked up at him and sighed, "Jason, please… Can we not talk about it?"

Jason sighed, remaining quiet and continuing to walk. After ten minutes, he noticed a park across the street and led her to it. Once at the playground and the swings, especially, Sam sat down and rested her hands on the handles of the swing.

Jason looked down at her, holding the handles as well to keep her still.

"Can we talk about it?" He asked hesitantly.

Sam sighed, "Okay. Let's talk about it, Jason."

"I don't want you to go…"

"I know. I don't want to go either –"

"Then don't. Stay here. Stay with me." Jason pleaded.

"Everywhere I look, I'm afraid Todd will show up. I can't – I don't want to be afraid anymore."

Jason bit his lower lip and ran a hand over his beard absently. He glanced around the park before he took Sam's hand, pulling her to stand with him. His arms immediately wrapped around her waist to hold her to him.

"Then let me change your outlook, Sam…"

With a deep sigh, Sam hesitantly said, "Come with me."

"What?" Jason replied, arching a brow in confusion.

"Leave with me, Jason."

He didn't know what to say. He wanted to be with her, but was he ready to leave Chicago?

When Sam realized he wasn't going to answer, she nodded and kissed his cheek. She wasn't expecting him to reply to such a farfetched suggestion.

"Let's head back," she whispered, taking his hand and leading him back to the main street where she raised her free hand for a cab.

Jason allowed her to climb into the backseat first before he followed suit, resting a hand on her leg once inside. He listened to her tell the driver the address to her apartment before he felt a sudden hunger building within him.

Sam was resting her cheek against his shoulder when she felt Jason's hand inch its way higher. She looked up at him and noticed that he was staring out the window. She had to wonder if he was thinking about her offer.

Slowly, Jason's hand rested at her upper thigh, his fingertips resting against her inner thighs. He moved his fingers absently, brushing against her jean-covered sex, hearing her gasp in surprise. He smirked to himself, keeping his gaze out the window.

Sam instantly rested her hand over his, slowly pulling it away from her lower half. "We are in the back of a cab," she whispered in his ear.

Jason looked down at her, narrowing his eyes with a small smirk lining his lips.

"I bet you're _wet_ though, Sam," he quietly said.

Sam cleared her throat, removing his hand and draping her leg over the other. Jason narrowed his eyes, moving his lips to nibble at her earlobe. He grinned when he heard a quiet whimper escape her lips.

"You're _so_ going to get it when we get back to the apartment," she threatened.

Jason pulled back to look down at her, "You promise?"

Sam shook her head, leaning in to kiss his cheek. She giggled quietly at the feel of his beard tickling her lips before she pulled back to look up at him.

"Or maybe I won't invite you in."

"You wouldn't dare," he said.

"Try me."

* * *

After Jason paid the cab driver, he led Sam to her apartment. The elevator ride was filled with sexual tension and lingering stares.

His hand had dropped to rest on her backside before she moved to stand in front of him. Jason was caught by surprise when she pushed back against him, pressing her backside against his crotch. When she rolled her hips, he growled quietly before the doors opened and she relieved the pressure.

Jason followed her quickly to her apartment, watching her unlock the door. When she stepped inside, Jason waited for an invitation.

"Good night, Jason," she teased.

"Wait, really?"

Sam laughed quietly, shaking her head and tugging on his arm to bring him inside. She shut the door behind her, making sure to lock it.

"I'm going to change. I'll be right back." Sam said, removing her boots and setting it on the shoe rack near the door. She walked to her bedroom and set her bag down before walking to her closet to remove her clothes.

Jason patiently waited at the couch, removing his jacket and draping it over the back of the sofa. He removed his shoes and set it aside before glancing over his shoulder to see if Sam had come out.

After changing into pajama shorts and an oversized shirt, Sam walked down the hall and sat next to Jason. His eyes immediately raked over her frame and how the shirt was covering the shorts that she was wearing.

The tension was thick in the air. Jason had turned his body slightly at an angle to face her.

"I want you to do something for me. Is that okay?" Jason asked.

"That's a very vague question…"

He chuckled, "I'm sorry. You're right. Shut your eyes…"

"Jason…"

" _Trust_ me, Sam."

With a hesitant sigh, Sam slowly shut her eyes. She was facing the small coffee table as his body was slightly angled towards her.

"What do you see?" He asked.

"I see nothing. I see darkness. Why? Because my eyes are shut," she replied.

Jason scoffed, "Okay, _smartass_. Try again. I want to know where your mind goes."

"I don't think you want to know –"

"Good memories. Focus on that," Jason corrected.

Sam sighed quietly, moving a hand to rest on his leg absently.

"I – I see the planetarium. I see the sun beginning to set and then I see – I see **you** ," she whispered.

Jason looked at her, smiling to himself. Slowly, he cupped her cheek and turned her head to face him. He leaned in, his lips parting slightly before he captured her lips.

Sam turned in his direction, parting her lips to accommodate his soft ones. She leaned against his touch, her eyes remaining shut. All she could think about was how great of a day that was when they both explored Chicago.

His lips slowly began to move against hers, using his free hand to gently pull her onto his lap. Sam gasped quietly at the swift movement, her legs resting on either side of him as her hands moved to gently run through his hair. When she relaxed on his lap, she gasped against his lips at the feel of his bulge pressing against her.

At her gasp, Jason took this chance to gently prod her mouth with his tongue. He slowly flicked it at the roof of her mouth before pulling away teasingly. He grinned when he heard a whimper of disagreement escape her lips.

Slowly, Sam's eyes opened and she looked directly into his.

Without a word, she stood up and took his hand. Jason eagerly took it and followed her down the hall to her bedroom. She turned the lamp on at her nightstand before turning back to face Jason. Her hands slowly began to unbutton his shirt, letting her fingertips graze his skin once it was revealed.

She pushed the shirt over his shoulders once she had unbuttoned it completely, watching it fall to the floor. Her hands then ran over his salt and peppered chest hair, grazing his tattoo before she leaned in to place a light kiss along his collarbone.

Jason grunted lowly, moving his hand to her lower back to pull her closer.

"Are you sure?" He asked quietly, tilting his head back at the feel of her lips moving along his neck.

"I'm more than sure about this," she replied, her hands moving to his pants.

Jason stopped for a moment, reaching for her hands and bringing them to his lips. She placed a soft kiss onto her knuckles before his hands released her own. He grasped the end of her large t-shirt and slowly lifted it upwards, watching as her arms raised in the air.

When Jason noticed that she wasn't wearing a bra, he felt his pants tighten even further to the point that it was becoming a bit too uncomfortable. He dropped her t-shirt to the floor and slowly ran his fingertips up her abdomen, grazing her breasts before he cupped her cheeks.

"You're beautiful," he whispered.

She blushed, biting her lower lip. Jason grinned.

Sam reached over once more to undo his pants, undoing the unbutton and unzipping it. Slowly, she pushed it down his hips and watched him wiggle out of it. Once it pooled around his ankles, he kicked it aside, standing clad in his boxers.

Sam looked him over, taking note of the growing tent in his boxers. Jason tucked his thumbs into the waistband of her shorts and panties, lowering them to her ankles.

She moved away from him once she was naked, deciding to lie back on her bed.

Jason groaned at the sight of her eagerly waiting for him. He slowly lowered his boxers, feeling his member spring at attention before he climbed onto her bed.

Sam gasped at the sight of his erected manhood, watching him settle between her legs. She reached down and slowly ran her fingertips along his length, feeling the warmth against her hand.

Jason leaned down and began to trail kisses along her neck, his hands resting at either side of her. When he reached her breast, his lips immediately latched onto her nipple without hesitation. He growled against her once he felt her hand wrap around his member, slowly beginning to stroke him.

Sam arched her back, feeling his beard tickle her skin along with the use of his tongue and lips that were latched onto her nipple.

"Jason…" She moaned quietly, causing Jason to thrust into her hand.

He moved to her other breast, paying equal attention. Afterwards, Jason kissed down her abdomen, taking her hand from his member and allowing her to rest it against the mattress.

Once at her mound, Jason looked up at her. He breathed against her soaking heat, turning his head to kiss along her inner thigh.

Sam whimpered. The feel of his beard scratching her skin was heightening the pleasure and the anticipation.

Jason was taking his time with her. He wanted to make her second guess her decision on leaving. Slowly, he hovered his lips against her sex, gently flicking his tongue against her clit which caused her to moan.

He smiled to himself, wrapping his arms around her thighs to keep her from moving. Jason kept her legs spread apart, running the tip of his tongue along the length of her heat. He could practically taste her dripping wetness.

Sam moved a hand to his hair, curling it into her fingers as she felt him continuously run his tongue along her in a teasing motion. She pushed her hips downwards, craving more than what he was doing.

Jason took notice and slowly slipped his tongue past her folds, savoring the taste of her sweetness coating his tongue. His eyes had fallen shut, just like Sam's, and began to explore her walls expertly.

Sam arched her back, her free hand grasping the bedsheet tightly.

"Oh god, Jason…"

He smirked, stroking her walls with the length of his tongue. Slowly, he pulled back from her and stared up at her. Jason knew he wouldn't last long if he continued his assault on her. Hopefully, there would be another time where he could devote all of his time in tasting her, savoring her sweet taste.

"You taste delicious," he smirked, crawling to hover above her.

Sam smiled, reaching up to cup his cheek. He leaned into her touch immediately.

Jason grasped his member, stroking it slowly as he brushed the head of his manhood against her wetness.

She gasped, staring directly into her eyes.

"I – I'm kind of still sore," she said.

"I'll be gentle. If it hurts, tell me and I'll stop. I _promise_ ," Jason responded.

Sam nodded, "I trust you."

"Good…"

Slowly, Jason slid into her tight heat. Once his head was past her folds, he rested both hands at either side of Sam's head. He watched her carefully, making sure that he wasn't hurting her.

Jason continued to slide into her. Her wetness was just enough lubricant that he was able to slide easily into her warm abyss.

Sam moved a hand to his shoulder, gripping it tightly as she tried to accommodate his girth. She spread her legs even further as her eyes fell shut and her back arched slightly off the bed.

Once Jason filled her to the hilt, he ceased the movement of his hips to allow her to adjust to him. Her tightness was grasping him in a way that he never thought was possible. As he shifted, he felt her stroke him and he groaned, doing his best to not slam into her repeatedly.

Jason wanted this to last and he wanted this to be special.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

Sam opened her eyes, looking up at him. "With you? Always…"

She rolled her hips, urging him to begin his thrusts.

Jason wasted no time in showing her exactly what she would miss if she were to leave. In the back of his mind, though, he wondered about taking her up on her offer and leaving with her, but he didn't know if he was ready to leave Chicago just yet.

Sam's moans were urging him to continue. His hips had come to meet hers with each thrust, their skin slapping against one another. His long, deep strokes hit the most sensitive spots that caused Sam to moan every time.

She enjoyed the way his body moved against her own. She didn't know how was she going to leave now that they had just reached a new level of their relationship. Sam knew she was going to want more of him.

Jason rested his lips near her ear, allowing her to hear his quiet grunts and groans. Her walls were stroking him tightly, causing him to pick up his pace.

He wanted to be gentle, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to. All he wanted to do was slam into her repeatedly to show her that not only could he protect her and keep her safe, but he could satisfy her as well.

"Jason…" She moaned, her arms wrapping around his shoulders to bring him flush against her chest.

Jason felt her breasts press against his chest, feeling the movement of it bouncing with each hard thrust he delivered.

He knew he wasn't going to last long.

Sam knew her peak was nearing from the way he was delivering his hips against her own.

" _Faster_ ," she whispered.

Jason smiled, pulling back to rest his hands on the mattress. When her eyes had begun to fall shut, Jason slammed into her, resting there for a moment.

"Keep your eyes open… I want to see those beautiful eyes," he said softly.

Sam opened her eyes, staring into his eyes as he began to thrust once more.

His hand had moved to her hip, gripping it tightly. Jason repeatedly slammed into her, hearing their skin hitting against one another with the creaking of the bed hitting the wall.

Jason felt her walls beginning to tighten even further; he knew she was close. Moving the hand from her hip to her mound, he let his thumb brush against her clit. It was all he needed to do for her to come undone.

Sam moaned loudly, her fingertips digging roughly into his back. She was sure she had left marks on his back.

She felt her body shudder with pleasure, feeling him move rapidly. His thrusts had become sloppier and less articulated.

Within a few moments, Jason pulled out and released on her lower abdomen. They were both panting, trying to come down from their pleasurable highs.

Sam leaned up to peck his lips, standing from the bed to wipe the release off of her skin. She tossed the tissue into the trash before climbing back into bed with him. Instantly, Jason pulled her to his side, grabbing the blanket and draping it over their naked bodies.

"That was great," she whispered.

Jason grinned, leaning down to kiss her cheek. " _You_ were great."

" _We_ were great," Sam replied.

* * *

 **Jason's POV**

I awake the next morning to feel someone snuggling closer to me. I open my eyes to look down at her. She was sleeping peacefully and I had to wonder if this was the first night where she had a good night's sleep.

I reach up to gently push the strands of hair away from Sam's face. She looked beautiful. My eyes deviate to the lack of our clothes and a boyish smile lines my lips.

I couldn't believe it. Last night was amazing.

I continue to stare at her, watching her sleep. I couldn't help but let my mind drift to the boxes that were in the living room. Sam was going to leave and I couldn't do anything about it.

Actually, I did. I had the opportunity to go with her. I didn't know if I was ready to take that step.

This was different, though. I couldn't deny that. With Alicia, it was just sex. I gained my feelings for her through sex and that was that. It was always a constant competition between myself and her husband, Peter. I thought I could handle it. I thought I could continue being the man she could use (like she said), but along the way, I wanted more.

Then, Sam showed up and everything about her captivated me. It was _different_. I could talk to her about anything, just like how she could talk to me about anything. The greatest feeling was knowing that aside from being in a relationship, Sam and I were good friends.

She loved space. I loved space. We could talk about the stars and the galaxy for _hours_.

I knew _her_. I knew everything about her and things I didn't know, I'm sure I would soon find out, but that is what was different about Sam and Alicia.

I didn't know much Alicia aside from the things she wanted to tell me.

Sam… She opened up to me when she didn't need to. She took a chance and she took it with _me_.

I knew what I had to do. I knew what I was going to do.

I had made a choice already.

It was _Sam_.

* * *

Sam groaned quietly, stretching her arms above her head before she opened her eyes. She glanced over at Jason and smiled to see that he was already awake.

Go figure. He did seem like the type to be both an early bird and a night owl.

"Hi…" Sam smiled, blushing once she remembered the events of last night.

Jason grinned, "Good morning."

"Mm, last night wasn't a dream, right?"

"Unless we had the same dream, I'd say it was very much real… And very much _enjoyable_ , too," Jason winked.

Sam laughed quietly, shaking her head and kissing his forehead. She climbed out of the bed to pull on a fresh pair of panties and his button-down shirt. She buttoned it halfway, watching as Jason's eyes raked her bare legs and subtly exposed chest.

"You look hot in my shirt," he commented.

"I'm glad you think so. It's very comfortable and it smells a lot like _you_." She grinned, leaning over the bed to peck his lips.

Jason smiled, deciding to pull back.

"I've got to talk to you," he said.

"Sure, yeah. Join me for a cup of coffee?"

"Of course."

Jason pulled on his boxers and followed Sam to the kitchen where she brewed two cups of coffee. She turned to face him and smiled, wrapping her arms around him and resting her cheek against his chest.

"I have to talk to you too," she added.

"Me first, okay?" Jason replied.

Sam nodded.

"I don't know how to say this, Sam…"

She furrowed a brow and stepped back. "W – What?"

"Oh god. That came out wrong, didn't it? I'm sorry. Get back here," he said, pulling her back to rest against him.

"What is it, Jason? You're kind of freaking me out right now."

"I choose you," he whispered.

"What?"

"You… It's you I want. If that means I pack up and leave with you, then I'll do it."

Sam cleared her throat, looking into his eyes. He was being serious.

"Jason…"

"No, listen, okay? I know I have a job here. The pay is more than what I'm used to, but I don't care about that. I'm freelance. I can get a job anywhere and wherever you decide to go, that is where I will be," he finished, cupping her cheek.

Sam sighed, leaning against his touch and turning her head to kiss the inside of his wrist.

"I didn't expect you to say this… It was selfish of me to even ask you to come with me…"

" _Samantha_ … I want **you** , just as much as I know that you want me."

She shut her eyes, resting her forehead against his chest. She felt his strong arms wrap around her waist. Sam knew. She couldn't let him go.

"You're sure about this…" Sam said.

"I'm positive. I'm not letting you go," he replied.

Sam let a small smile line her lips, leaning up to kiss his cheek. She buried her face against his neck and held onto him for a moment until the coffee maker made a quiet beep to notify the couple that the coffee was finished.

She stepped out of his embrace to pour the coffee into their mugs before handing him his own.

"Where were you thinking of going?" Sam asked hesitantly.

Jason smiled, "Seattle."

Sam grinned, "That's _exactly_ what I was thinking too."

He maintained his dimpled grin and leaned down to peck her lips.

"Now we've got to start packing," he said.

"It's a good thing we don't have much already as it is," she replied.

After a few moments, Jason looked down at her seriously.

"I promised you were always going to be safe with me…" He whispered.

Sam nodded.

"You kept me safe, Jason… You _protected_ me. Thank you."

* * *

 **THE END**


End file.
